The Easterner Volume 100 Issue 21

EEasterner The

V100 • N1• Independent student journalism SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 V100 N21 Independent Student Journalism

April 27, 2017

Table TheEasterner of Contents

3 News 10 A&E 14 Opinion 16 Sports

Easterner Asks: What is the difference between good art and bad art?

Staff List Editor-in-Chief Rosie Perry 509-359-6737 easterner.editor@ewu.edu

Maxwell Davis

Managing Editor Brad Brown easterner.mngeditor@ewu.edu Web and Social Media Director Jordan Perry easterner.online@gmail.com

Arts, Entertainment and Features Editor Erin Rebar easterner.aef@gmail.com

Mollie Rasmussen

“I can’t define art. But bad art, I dislike when I can’t tell what the picture is.”

“Personally, I don’t think there is any kind of bad art. That’s subjective.”

Matt Dreslinski

Nicole Paurus

Kendra Fields

“I feel like good art just really expresses whatever the artist is feeling, whereas bad art doesn’t. It’s just kind of jumbled together.”

“I think good art is something that makes you stop and look as opposed to just walking right by it.”

“Bad art is something that looks sloppy, something that’s just lazily thrown together. Good art flows, even if it is abstract.”

Chief Copy Editor Colette-Janae Buck easterner.copy@gmail.com News Editor Kristi Lucchetta easterner.news@gmail.com

Holly Slininger

“Good art is appealing to the eye and has a message. Bad art is kind of confusing.”

Sports Editor Brandon Cline easterner.sports@gmail.com Art Director Abbi Vance easterner.photo@gmail.com

Featured picture of the week:

Designer Gerald Maib

Submission Guidelines:

King Charles Rosie Perry for The Easterner

Content Editor Ian Bouchard

To submit photos, attach the largest file size in an email to the Art Director at e a s t e r n e r. p h o t o @ g m a i l . c o m , 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 recieved

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

My dog is a miniature dachshund who is basically a person. He sits with his little arms over the edge of the couch and watches TV, waits for us to come home and looks out the window like the regal king he is.

Copy Editor Logan Stanley Staff Reporters Riley Baker Kyle Fredricks Logan Stahl Photographer Whitney Bolar Ivone Garza Faculty Adviser Carleigh Hill

About The Easterner

Program Adviser Samantha Armstrong Ash

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 Eastern student newspaper never knowingly publishes inaccuracies. If any error is found, the student newspaper is obligated to correct the error as soon as possible, regardless of the source of the error. A consistent location, signature and style for corrections will be used.

Front

Abbi Vance | Art Director This week was all about art. That includes art done by students on the side of Paterson Hall, in the Downtown Student Gallery and the EWU Art Gallery on campus. I wanted to keep it spring themed, which is the reason behind the pastel water colored background.

Illustration by Abbi Vance

Address | The Easterner EWU, Isle Hall 102 Cheney, WA 99004 Office Line | (509) 359-6737 Advertising Line | (509) 359-7010

2 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

NEWS

(front to back) Kora Crawford and Lanie Serres reach into a runoff drain to grab some trash | Whitney Bolar for The Easterner

EWU Volunteers Clean Up Cheney Kristi Lucchetta News Editor EWU Spring Day of Service gave students a chance to give back to their local community by providing opportunities to help clean up the streets of Cheney and plant trees at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

The Spring Day of Service started on Saturday, April 22 at 9 a.m. with the Cheney Clean

Sweep. Over 50 EWU students were in attendance.

“It was an amazing opportunity for students who call Cheney their home to be able to give back to this community by making it a cleaner environment for all,” Rebecca Gollehon, office assistant at EWU Office of Community Engagement, said.

Volunteers for Cheney Clean Sweep were sent in groups to assigned streets or parks to clean with trash

bags in hand. Volunteers cleaned up any litter or garbage they saw.

“It was a service project that had EWU students working handin-hand with Cheney community members,” Gollenhon said.

EWU student Marco Peralta said that it is important to him to be involved in events such as Spring Day of Service because of how it can improve the community.

“Cheney is where I’ll be living for a few years, so during my time

here I want to give back,” said Peralta. “Even a few hours spent cleaning up some trash can help and maybe inspire more students to keep the campus and city cleaner.”

After the approval of a new sustainability major, EWU is beginning to leave its mark by planting new trees at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. This was the other part of Service Saturday.

A group of around 17 volunteers at the Turnbull National Wildlife

Refuge potted trees that will one day be planted out with soil. Other volunteers were tasked with potting the trees and the rest watered the trees to then take to a nursery.

Gollehon said students worked hard while having a fun time and ended up potting over 200 trees.

“It’s nice to see that the university wants to not only

Continued on page 4...

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 3

Spring Day continued... improve the campus that us students see every day, but the surrounding area as well,” said Peralta. “We cut down all these trees for buildings and structures, and I think we sometimes forget that we need to replace them and plan for the future.”

EWU is placing an emphasis on staying connected to the community by offering these events that students can participate in.

“It feels nice to make an impact,” said Peralta. “Unlike a lot of projects that go on at a university, a day of service allows us to see the immediate change that just a few students can make.

It gives me a sense of pride.”

With an expanding student population, Peralta said that current students need to continue being involved in school events and activities.

New and prospective students show up throughout the year to take tours, a clean campus and surrounding area can help a

student make a decision.

“The more students that get involved, the more we can accomplish,” said Peralta. “EWU has provided me with so many opportunities to get my career started and has helped me plan a path to reach my goals. I think that by getting more students involved in keeping our campus and community clean, it can be a way of showing our appreciation to the university for all that they do for us.”

Gollehon said many students want to volunteer but do not know where to go or how to go about it.

With the Office of Community Engagement, coordinated volunteer opportunities, like Service Saturday, are easy to participate in.

“We want students to be community engaged and realize that they can address critical community needs and we do so by providing students with meaningful service opportunities,” Gollehon said. •

(left to right) Evelyn Tzib and Yesenia Martin came to represent the Diversified Greek Council Whitney Bolar for The Easterner

(left to right) Fuminori Sugisaki (left said he likes cleaning and Hiroki Tobe (right) said he wants to help the Earth Whitney Bolar for The Easterner

4 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

EXTRAS Kristi Lucchetta News Editor

Recent Overdoses on EWU Campus EWU’s Police Department sent an email to the campus community regarding recent increase in drug use and overdose incidents on campus. EWU officers want to warn the community about the dangers of using drugs, such as psilocybin (mushrooms), acid (LSD) and other synthetic drugs, including synthetic marijuana.

The chemicals present in the drugs are frequently unknown, as well as the effects. If any student has any information relating to this type of incident, please call the EWU police department at 509-359-7676 or the anonymous tip line at 509-359-4286.

Volunteers Needed for Diversity And Inclusion Week Volunteers are needed for EWU’s annual Diversity and Inclusion Week, from May 8 to May 11. The President’s Dialogues on Diversity, which needs four volunteers, will be held May 8. On May 9, eight volunteers are needed for Diversity Lessons. On May 10, four volunteers are needed for the Lacks Family Panel, and on May 11, 17 volunteers are needed for the Diversity and Inclusion Festival. Volunteers can choose how long they wish to volunteer during the various event hours and will receive a free diversity t-shirt. Contact D’Lisa Souder at 509-359-2513 or via email at dsouder@ewu.edu to set up a date and time.

Spring 2017 EWU ROTC Field Training Exercise EWU’s ROTC program will begin their Fighting Eagle Battalion field training exercises April 27, which will last until April 29. On April 27, there will be a Boeing CH-47 Chinook pick-up in the north parking lot between 3 to 4 p.m. Anyone is able to join. The training will include land navigation, both day and night, and 36 hours of force-on-force training with squad and platoon tactics. The training will feature a 10-mile road march and finish up with an awards ceremony at Cadet Hall Saturday, April 29 at 5 p.m.

On-campus sexual assaults go under reported Kristi Lucchetta News Editor Sexual assault occurs on many college campuses all over the country but very few sexual assaults go through the court system, Sgt. Lorriane Hill, EWU campus police officer, said.

The definition of sexual assault, according to “Sexual Assault on the College Campus: The Role of Male Peer Support” by Martin D. Schwartz and Walter DeKeseredy, includes all forms of nonconsensual sexual conduct.

According to Schwartz and DeKeserdy, some factors that contribute to the sexual assaults include drinking incidents and the protection of middle class, white males on campus.

“When the criminals are themselves tuition-paying students who engage in acquaintance rapes, thefts, drug sales, gambling, vandalism, and assaults, the rhetoric is much softer,” according to Schwartz and DeKeseredy.

This leads to many women not realizing the significance of pursuing legal action.

“Overall, sexual assault doesn’t have a lot of support,” Kerri Handley, campus victim advocate for Lutheran Community Services Northwest Spokane, said.

Handley said she feels that society shames victims of sexual assault and that victims see other people being shamed, especially on social media.

“There is not a lack of support on campus but there can always be more and it needs to be intertwined in the culture,” Handley said.

When Hill was asked why she thought victims don’t pursue charges against the suspect, her response was fear. “[The victims] are scared,” said Hill. “When you go to court you’re facing them again.”

Even when officers encourage victims to press charges, Hill said officers understand it is not an easy process.

“We encourage them to press charges for a sense of closure and to help with the healing process,” she said.

Handley said there are a multitude of reasons why survivors may not report.

“Some possibilities could be that [victims] are afraid no one would believe them, worried about retaliation, don’t want to face the offender again or don’t want to feel responsible for the offender getting in trouble,” said Handley. “As well as not knowing what their options and rights are.”

Handley emphasizes that it is important to empower survivors of sexual assault, and it is important to see what best equips that

individual survivor.

Another approach is that the victims can work as a team with other survivors when moving forward. Handley said it is important to express to survivors that they have options and what they choose to do they will be supported.

“Victims can regain their voice and their self-worth,” Handley said.

According to Schwartz and DeKeseredy, it was only with the development of feminist coalitions, with intensive lobbying and education initiatives, that individuals began to see university communities start to take the safety of women more seriously.

Schwartz and DeKeseredy said that cynics might point out that the change has come from university legal officers who have convinced university officials of the possibility of losing great amounts of money from lawsuits brought by women who feel that basic institutional frameworks to deal with violent assaults are not in place.

“I’ve been an officer on campus for 23 years,” said Hill. “I’ve noticed students trust us; they come forward and talk to us. They believe that we believe them.”

Hill said it was 1986 when the first domestic assualt law came out and that was when EWU started creating a rape-free campus with advocate training.

According to Schwartz and DeKeserdy, “We seem to have developed laws and law enforcement policies aimed specifically at disenfranchised people while letting another equally if not more guilty group off more easily.”

Handley encourages society to support victim choices, even if you do not agree and appreciate them for trusting you with their story.

“Having resources [on campus] can help students come forward,” Handley said.

EWU offers counseling services for students and group sessions including LGBTQ+ group sessions, building connections, understanding self and others, test anxiety, family matters and mindful mediation. •

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 5

Sustainability Committee Hosts Earth Day Fair Dayana Morales For The Easterner EWU’s annual Earth Day Fair, hosted by the Sustainability Committee, attracted 35 vendors and a handful of students to the event on April 20.

“There has been over 100 people since it started,” said sustainability student officer Emily Sherman. “We had a good turn out, especially around lunch time.”

One of the vendors present at the fair that caught student attention was the Spokane Community Gardens. This organization is for students who are interested in leveraging resources to better support a community, school or service garden.

“We want to expand urban agriculture, grow gardens and maintain a sustainable economy,” said Jon Lossing, public outreach coordinator.

Lossing said he bets people did not know that there are about 30-45 community gardens in Spokane.

The Spokane Urban Agriculture Network, known as SUAN, is putting together an event similar to the Earth Day Fair on May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lossing said their events will include music, a petting zoo, crafts and more.

Food-for-All Farms, an organization affiliated with Catholic Charities Spokane, will also be present at the SUAN event and will be distributing free plant to help start community gardens. Last year, Food-for-All gave four flats of plants to each community garden in the Spokane area. This is the first event in what SUAN hopes will be an annual event.

“That will be a way for people to network,” said Lossing. “We’re calling it the Spring Fling, and it will be located behind the St. John’s cathedral at the corner of 12th and Cowley Street.”

Another popular vendor present at EWU’s Earth Day Fair was the Lands Council.

“What we do as a group is we advocate for forest, wildlife and water,” said Anne Stephenson, Volunteer for the Lands Council. “Water meaning rivers, creeks and the aquifer.”

Stephenson said that the Lands Council uses both legal advocacy, and volunteering activities like restoration along the creeks and the rivers with river clean ups, as their method of advocacy. The Lands Council also transplants beavers from problem areas to nonproblem areas to keep the water and sediment in the environment.

Aside from the different vendors advocating sustainability, there were also booths with activities

to help engage students. EWU Housing and Residential Life made t-shirt bags for students to take home and t-shirt dog toys that were then donated to the Spokane Humane Society.

The EWU Office of Community Engagement provided materials for student to plant flowers in take-home containers. One of the booths gave out a card that needed to be stamped by vendors to enter to win the grand prize: a bike, a Thomas Hammer gift basket, a $100 bookstore gift card and an EWU Dining Fresh Market Basket.

Sustainability coordinator Erik Budsberg said he thinks the fair went really well.

“We were concerned that with the rain in the forecast, and therefore, having to move the fair inside into Tawanka, that we would not get as many folks coming through,” said Budsberg. “However, as far I could tell, we still had a pretty good turnout.

Hopefully next year we will have nicer weather and be able to have the entire fair outside.”

Students had the opportunity to find out more about recycling, environment and different resources they never had the opportunity to connect with. The fair was an opportunity for students to learn about the many on-campus sustainability options. •

2017 Volunteer and Outdoor Events -April-October, tree planting and watering.

-May, Hangman Creek Float Trip.

-June-September, Spokane River.

-July-August, restoration.

paddle

the

Whitebark

Pine

-July 15 and September 30, Mt Spokane hike.

-Sep. 9, free the Snake Flotilla.

-Sep. 16, Spokane River cleanup.

-Sep. 22, Brewftop.

-October, Reforest Spokane Day and Gerry Copeland Hike & Trail cleanup.

Dryden to be Repurposed for Special Hosting Brad Brown Managing Editor

Dryden Hall’s 129 single-occupancy rooms will be reworked into carious halls on campus | Brad Brown for The Easterner

6 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

EWU’s largest single-occupancy residence hall is about to undergo major changes compared to its current usage.

Coming next fall, Dryden Hall will no longer be available as an oncampus student housing option and will be repurposed to serve “special hosting” needs.

“The project is really to provide opportunities and services for our admissions team and people who are coming to campus with large groups and need a place to stay,” said Josh Ashcroft, senior director of Housing and Residential Life. “We have a ton of requests from high school groups that want to come visit campus for a day, and those groups continue to get larger and more frequent.”

One hundred and twenty nine single-occupancy rooms, the amount Dryden Hall currently offers, are to be reworked into various halls and

facilities. The north side of Dryden Hall that houses 21 and over students will be moving over to Morrison Hall.

“We know we have a student population at Dryden that wants all singles,” said Ashcroft. “So we made sure that we incorporated those singles within the other residence halls that we have.”

After the recent spike in EWU’s student enrollment from 2008-2014, which saw a 20 percent increase and six consecutive record-enrollment years, EWU’s student population has since remained steady.

The year the enrollment began was 2014, which also marked the largest residential population in EWU’s 132-year history, with more than 2000 students living on campus. To accommodate the soaring enrollment numbers, the $25 million living facility of snyamncut was built as EWU’s first new residence hall in 42 years.

Losing one of EWU’s eight residence halls will lower the overall

total number of on-campus rooms available to students, but Ashcroft said the student’s housing demands will be met.

“Right now we have enough beds to meet our current demand,” said Ashcroft. “What we’re constantly doing is looking at the current amount of beds that we have, what’s the current number of students who are requesting on-campus housing and what kind of housing are they looking for.”

While the short-term plan for Dryden Hall is set to be used for “special hosting” needs, Ashcroft said the building could still go back to student housing if it was needed to meet student demands.

“It’s a strategic decision of how can we maximize our beds in the fewest facilities that we have,” said Ashcroft.

“That way you are maximizing your staffing and the student experience because for us, we want our floors and communities to be full.” •

Grove Gates Remain Open After Hours Abbi Vance Art Director On Jan. 23, The Grove Apartment residents received an email stating that starting Jan. 27, the gate to the Grove would be closed after business hours, from approximately 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Between management and the residents, there may be a miscommunication since many students who live at The Grove can attest to the gate not being closed as communicated by management through email or mail.

According to The Grove’s lease agreement, the amenities located on The Grove property, specifically a gate, which is for the sole purpose of protecting the property and not the residents who live there.

“Resident acknowledges that Owner [The Grove] has furnished a controlled access gate (‘Gate’) on the Property for the sole purpose of protecting the Property and not for the Resident’s security; any benefit Resident may receive is only incidental to the purpose of protecting the property,”

according to no. 38 in The Grove’s lease agreement.

During September 2016, a letter was sent out to residents stating the gate would be regularly locked from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Oct. 1.

“I’m sure it’s on the lease agreement, and I’ve received emails stating the gate would be closed from 9 p.m. - 6 a.m., but it usually is open,” EWU junior Isaiah Henderson said.

In early October, Robert ‘Drew’ Schreiber, a previous EWU student living at the complex, was assaulted by two non-resident individuals around 1 a.m.

Breylin Johnson, EWU sophomore, said she believed that the gate was open for a couple months during the start of the school year and during the time of the Oct. 8 assault, due to repairs being done on the gate.

In order for residents to have access to the facility when gates are locked there is a white access box where gate keys are swiped, allowing the gate to open for a couple seconds. If an individual, who is not a resident, wants to

Front entrance gate remained open April 25 in the early hours passed midnight, when The Grove management said it would be closed at 9 p.m. | Brandon Cline for The Easterner gain access to the grounds, they must use the call box or have a resident let them in.

“The gates are usually always open,” said Henderson. “Sometimes one side is open, so you can drive

around to the other side. Also if someone is driving in front of you, you can squeeze in if you hurry and the gate stays open for you.”

The Easterner reached out to The Grove management for

a comment but has since not received a response. •

Get Lit! Festival Celebrates Twentieth Year Logan Stanley Copy Editor EWU’s annual Get Lit! Festival took place from April 17 to April 23, with events at both the Cheney and Riverpoint campus.

Since 1998, the festival has been a tradition hosted by the EWU Get Lit! program and features a bevy of activities such as panels, workshops and readings, all in the name of literature.

“It’s a community literary tradition,” said Kate Peterson, interim director of the Get Lit! program. “We’ve been kind of bringing in people into the community and also celebrating the vibrancy of the literary community that’s already here in Spokane, and bringing them together with the really famous authors, authors who are already really well-established.”

Peterson said the goal is to expose people to literature and its many forms while also

engaging the community which lines up with the mission of the program as a whole.

As written on their website, Get Lit! “engages members of the Inland Northwest community in a celebration of the written word by encouraging discussion, at all age levels, of literature in its many forms.”

Over the course of the festival, there were 40 events with 70 different authors participating. While previous renditions of the festival typically catered to primarily those with a literary interest, this year also had a focus on singers and songwriters.

That focus came in the form of a singersongwriter panel hosted at JFK Library on April 21, one of five Get Lit! Events held at the EWU Cheney campus for the first time in the program’s history.

For the most part, the entirety of the festival takes place at various locations throughout Spokane. Peterson, a previous EWU adjunct professor, wanted to help

facilitate coordinating events at the Cheney campus.

“I really wanted to do more for my students, just the student body, because I would ask my students ‘have you guys ever heard of Get Lit!?’ … and they would all say they’ve never heard of it,” said Peterson. “So, I really wanted to get more of the students involved in the festival this year.”

Besides the singer-songwriter event, there was also a queer women writers panel, a literary arts career panel, a “Northwest Boulevard” reading and a presentation of the poem “We Are a Poem,” -- the latter which Peterson said was one of the most popular attractions as the EWU Theatre seats were filled up for the duration of the performance.

As for the future of the festival and its involvement on the Cheney campus, Peterson noted it depends on who the director is. Right now she is just the interim director. Peterson has applied for the permanent position of

director, but there has been no decision made regarding the status of the vacant position.

If she were to be named director, Peterson said she would like to continue bringing festival events to Cheney. It is a festival that she feels is a needed presence as it emphasizes literature and generates interests and engagement.

“I think that it’s a really important thing to celebrate the arts, get people reading, I think that’s fantastic,” said Peterson. “I saw a lot of people buying books afterwards, a lot of people were coming up to the authors and signing their books. I was acting as sort of a bouncer at the table to make sure people don’t talk to the author for too long. It was great to be able hear some of those conversations and how they were really touched by their writing.”

In the eyes of Peterson, that kind of enthusiasm is exactly what Get Lit! seeks to achieve. •

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 7

POLICE BEAT

Gerald Maib for The Easterner

Kristi Lucchetta News Editor

Driving While License Suspended April 17

An officer observed a vehicle turning onto Washington Street.

When he ran the plate it came back that the owner of the vehicle’s license was suspended. The officer pulled over the male student and issued a citation.

Drug Violation April 19

CAs in Morrison Hall reported an odor coming from one of the dorm rooms. Officers made contact with the male student resident. The student said he was with his friends who were smoking but the officer noticed the window open when it was cold weather. The student consented to a search and officers found a container with marijuana residue inside. The student was cited and referred to Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Assault/Domestic Violence April 19

A female student and a male, who is not a student, starting arguing in the Townhouse Apartments. The male pushed the female twice, knocking her over the second time, which left her with carpet burns. The male was arrested and booked into the Spokane County Jail.

Alcohol Offense

Alcohol Offense

A male student was seen on foot by officers in Parking Lot 16 carrying an open container. The officers made contact and discovered the student with an open 40-ounce Steel Reserve.

The student was issued a MIP citation and was referred to Student Rights and Responsibilities.

CAs in Pearce Hall called for medical reasons when a female student appeared very intoxicated in the lobby. The female refused to seek medical treatment, and when officers made contact, she was released her to her roommate.

Officers later saw her on a fire escape balcony vomiting. She was issued a MIP citation and referred to Student Rights and Responsibilities.

April 21

April 23

Anyone who has any information on a pending investigation please call EWU Police Department at (509)359-7676 or the Anonymous Tip Line at (509)359-4286.

8 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

EVENTS

Please Hire Me Gerald Maib for The Easterner

Overflow Book Sale The JFK library will be selling their extra books. The sale will continue as long as supplies last and is cash only. No change will be provided.

Gerald Maib for The Easterner

Resume Blitz

When: May 1-5 Time: Normal library hours Where: JFK Library Cost: 25¢ to $5

Concerned with job hunting? Bring your resume and get it reviewed. Students must bring a printed copy of their resumes by EWU Career Services staff. The average review time is 10-15 minutes.

When: April 27 Where: Monroe Lounge

Courtesy of The HEAT

Scallywag Scurry Participate in a 5K walk/run that goes around the Whitworth University campus. Check in is at 9 a.m.

When: April 29 Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Whitworth University Cost: Free

Time: 12-2 p.m.

Cost: Free

Courtesy of The Bing Theater

Gerald Maib for The Easterner

Pink Floyd Laser Show

Divino Fashion Show and Canines on the Catwalk

Enjoy the music of Pink Floyd and watch a laser show that is choreographed to the soundtrack.

Enjoy a fashion show modeling looks from local designers and boutiques.

The show will also include dog models featuring fun pet fashion. Proceeds will go to the Lavender Dream Farms Rescue.

When: April 29 Time: 8 p.m.

Where: 901 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA Cost: $26.50-$31.50

When: April 29 Time: 7 p.m.

Where: 6425 N. Lidgerwood St. Spokane, WA Cost: $18 pre-sale, $22 at the door

Courtesy of the Diversified Greek Council

MAYhem 2017 The Diversified Greek Council will be hosting their annual Step and Stroll Competition. Come watch sororities and fraternities from all over the Pacific Northwest compete.

When: April 29 Time: 7-10 p.m.

Where: Showalter Auditorium Cost: Free

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 9

A Cultivate

A&E

Thoughts from arti

Black: “Life starts in darkness. Darkness is one of those things that changes perception, changes reality. We’re afraid of the dark. The dark is a negative. ‘Black’ is a negative.”

The Day Before: “Then which is a constant, a very linear thing. Th before life. The day before death. There’s al know what’s going to happen the day after,

Some Do, Some Don’t: “It’s based on see

no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Of course it’s always with monkeys. I collect them and I’m really fascinated with that concept of seeing, hearing [and] speaking no evil. And you know, some monkeys do and some monkeys don’t.”

Four Equals One: “‘Four Equals One’ is based on the Monopoly game. Because you need four houses to get one hotel.

So, you know, sometimes numbers don’t really add up to four. Four doesn’t mean four. Four means one with Monopoly. And then the color of the box is for the card … state, whatever, of Baltimore. I took the card in and got that color.”

Evil Seen, Evil Heard, Evil Spoken:

“I’ve taken that concept [above] and as you can see, the hands are cut off because that’s what’s used to cover those three sins.

Seeing it, speaking it, hearing it. I kinda feel that we let these things go. We do speak. We do hear. We do see. And what do we do about that?”

10 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

ed Vision

ist Dan McCann

n it moves into ‘The Day Before,’ he day before yesterday. The day lways a day before. And we don’t but there’s always a day before.”

Erin Rebar A&E and Features Editor

Garden: “Then it moves into ‘Garden,’ which is a little bit peaceful. A safer place. We all love being in a garden. Green, not as chaotic, not as organic, but then yet it is organic. And then of course the cycle goes back into black, back into the darkness.”

Danny Dolls: “My Danny Dolls are made of gloves — old leather gloves. When I was working downtown, I’d ride my bike to work during the summer and I would pick stuff up off the ground, and one of them was gloves. You always see a single glove. Once in a blue moon you see a pair, but not really. It’s always a single glove. I was fooling around with them one day and had a seamstress friend and asked her to help me figure it out. This is the thumb of the glove, where I cut the thumb off and kind of push it together. I spread the fingers to make the arms and legs. As you see, they are just kinda decorated with everything and anything. They all have their own personalities.”

Machine Series: “What are they machines for?

Who knows? There’s kinda that organic, skin-like look to them with some machinery going on. This was a wonderful set for me to do. It was very intense. I did nine of them and did them in three months.

The boxes are found boxes, I didn’t have them made. This piece here is from an accordion. And then I just change it by adding my objects.”

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 11

Hannah McLaughlin (Kate) and right Scott Worley (Trevor) | Contributed by Skyler Moeder

“Bedroom Farce” Comes to EWU Logan Stahl Staff Reporter EWU theater department returns with a new comedy production, “Bedroom Farce.”

The new production will open on the EWU Theatre’s Main Stage May 12.

Guest Director Josh Stamoolis is leading the small cast in the Oliver and Tony Award winning production.

This is Stamoolis’ first time directing a production at EWU, but he brings with him a plethora of professional acting and directing experience.

Stamoolis is a member of the Actor’s Equity Association and has directed professional productions at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, as well as a student

12 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

production at the University of California, Irvine, among other various productions as an actor and director.

Stamoolis said “Bedroom Farce” is a sitcom that “can stray one moment into the ludicrous and absurd and have real pathos the next.”

The main focus of the play is on a couples’ struggling marriage. Through the difficult trials of their marriage, they cross paths with three other couples to create complete chaos.

“The couples in the [play] learn how to live together, to commit together and to remember to try together as one neverending night twists, turns and surprises,” Stamoolis said.

EWU junior Hannah McLaughlin, a theater and english double major, plays the

role of Kate. For McLaughlin, the audition process was different than she expected. “[It was] very fun, but [it] was an eye opener to a lot of us because most of us came in with the mindset of being too dramatic,” McLaughlin said.

The play is set in London, so all the actors have been practicing Received Pronunciation, the standard English accent which is often used by actors and TV personalities in the U.K. This has added difficulty throughout the rehearsal cycle.

EWU junior Sierra Peck, a theater major who plays Susannah, was pleased with the audition and rehearsal process.

“The really great thing about auditions at Eastern is you are surround by such a cool group of people that you can absolutely bomb and just laugh about it,” said Peck.

“Whatever nerves there are, there is always a group of people to help you through it.”

EWU junior Jake Lathan, an accounting major who plays Malcolm, has enjoyed working on this production because of the small cast size.

“We have rehearsals with one or two people on stage and we get to work with Josh with everything. I love it,” Lathan said.

EWU junior Scott Worley, a theater student who plays Trevor, said “the play will allow people to check their worries at the door, laugh, and have a blast, because we are.”

Stamoolis has high hopes for the play.

“I think [the audience] can expect a hilarious comedy with characters and relations that we all can recognize,” said Stamoolis. “I hope the audience walks away with tears in their eyes.” •

Hi-Ho March (Aziz Jamal, Olivia Evans & Jennifer Acevedo) | Whitney Bolar for The Easterner

Local Art Scene: Collision Course Logan Stahl Staff Reporter The EWU student art gallery located on Second Street in Cheney is currently hosting Collision Course, an installation of videobased collaborations featuring six EWU students. The projects were created with special focuses given to current social and political topics.

“The exhibition features a variety of video based works that offers a sense of how versatile video is an art medium,” Jenny Hyde, EWU professor and Collision Course director, said.

Most of the projects are digital animations displayed by projectors. One project done by Jeremey Lenhartzen features a video montage of continuous, grainy patterns and images projected onto a glass panel from behind.

Many of the other projects feature animation-based video. In “Hi-Ho March,” a collaboration by Aziz Jamal, Cicily Thompson and Olivia Evans, a projected, high-definition animation of various animals, robots and dolls march from the left to the right side of the frame.

Evans, a senior in the studio arts program, describes the piece as a “marching of strangers, friends [and] family, working together no matter their race or origin.”

Stop motion is the videography technique to create in “Hi-Ho March.” The technique is executed by capturing one frame at a time and adjusting the physical objects between takes to make it look as though the objects

are moving when you combine the images together and play them rapidly, Evans said.

“I use solely a DSLR camera to take the photos (usually 400 images in each stop mo.), process in Adobe Photoshop, then into Adobe Premiere Pro where they are placed in sequence and therefore animated,” Evans said.

Hyde is proud of all the projects in the gallery.

“Many [students] had little to no knowledge of working with technology before taking a digital arts course at EWU,” said Hyde. “They really figured out how to use this medium to suit their individual ideas and voices.”

Another project done by Evans, titled “Switching Channels,” shows multicolored identical figures tracing from one edge of the display to the other, all moving in different motions. The backdrop is black and white and features a large building in a forest environment.

“People have the ability to feel multiple emotions at once,” said Evans. “The idea of each silhouetted figure is to represent multiple emotions, such as happiness [purple], somber [black], anxiety [pink], and enthusiasm [lime green].” The whole project took Evans about three months to complete.

Hyde also said “Students and others in the community should visit the gallery because this is great work.”

The Collision Course will be open till May 15 during the week from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. •

Get it Together Susan (Aziz Jamal, Olivia Evans & Jennifer Acevedo) Whitney Bolar for The Easterner

A Conversation (By Jennifer Acevedo & Jeremy Lenhartzen) | Whitney Bolar for The Easterner

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The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 13

OPINION EDITORIAL

“Hey, I’m Crosswalking Here” The Easterner Editorial Board We face a problem of infrastructure.

The simple painted-on crosswalk is no longer sufficient for the amount of people and cars attempting to use Washington street at the same time. Pedestrians cross in a steady enough stream to halt motor traffic and cause bumper to bumper jams during class transitions.

Students trickle and surge across the four crosswalks spread along the half mile stretch in a random dance with traffic that boggles the mind. The problem arises when cars are unable to find opportunities to drive through crosswalks for as long as five to seven minutes at a time -- meaning cars are backed up as far as the next crosswalk.

“I know with our staff in facilities services we know when classes change and when it gets busy. We avoid traveling during those time if at all possible,” said Karen Wichman, EWU Facilities Director, in an email.

Luckily this has not yet caused safety concerns. EWU

Police Chief Tim Walters said that they don’t get an inordinate amount of accidents or violations on Washington, but they do like to be present and visible during transition times to encourage proper behavior.

A simple, if not costly, solution would be the installation of pedestrian traffic signals. These would help break up the constant stream of people into condensed groups, llowing drivers a window to pass and keep traffic flowing “I think people are accustomed to [traveling down Washington] taking more time during transition periods,” said Chief Walters.

So it comes down to if EWU and the residents of Cheney, including students, feel that traffic flow on Washington is enough of a problem to warrant the money required. Are people fine with the grind like Chief Walters believes?

Or are drivers tired of the hourly standstill on campus? •

Gerald Maib for The Easterner

Letter to the Editor Submission Guidelines -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 for adherence to Associated Press style.

14 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

-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.

We encourage the EWU community to submit letters and opinion pieces that conform to the requirements listed.

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.

COLUMN

EDITORS’ PICKS

Style Nest

COMEDY SERIES

Make a statement in bell sleeves

Spitfire entrepreneur and Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso receives the ultimate immortalization in the Netflix biopic, GirlBoss, which retells her journey from a rebellious young adult to eBay vintage clothing merchant. Filled to the brim with shenanigans, dick jokes and outfits that are to die for, Courtesy of Netflix Studios GirlBoss is a campy guilty pleasure that leaves you hysterically laughing at how ridiculous the early 2000s was. Throw back to “totes,” anyone? (Colette-Janae Buck)

Colette-Janae Buck Chief Copy Editor From bell-shaped cuffs to structured short sleeves, spring is the season of statement tops and dresses. These types of garments can be found in a wide range of brand collections, including Forever 21, Who What Wear, couture brands and even those phony shopping sites advertised on Facebook.

It can be daunting to pick up a garment with extreme bell sleeves, but if you really want to keep up with this trend, then have no fear.

I’m going to break down the do’s and don’ts of wearing statement sleeve this spring.

First off, start small. If you’re just getting into the trend or are a fashion beginner, it’s best to treat jumping into this trend like cutting your hair short; start with an inch and then cut it shorter.

Try out the sleeves by purchasing and wearing a slight bell sleeve. Like any other big change in life, it’s good to build up to your goal rather than going straight for it. Shirts or dresses with slight wrist-level flares would be a great starter. They give you a taste of that ‘70s flare without the risk of looking like a time capsule.

From there, transition into a larger bell sleeve or maybe a funnel sleeve before venturing into the great abyss of statement sleeves. As you should with other trends, play around with the different styles and have fun; that’s the whole point of trends.

Color is another aspect of the statement trend that can be daunting to the newbies. Try

Girlboss

DRAMA SERIES

Hell On Wheels

Gerald Maib for The Easterner starting with neutral colors, such as black, white or monochrome stripes before maturing into the robin’s egg blue color that’s currently on trend.

When you become more confident, move onto a personal favorite of mine, a mesh, seethrough fabric. This type of shirt combines two hot trends, the mesh trend with the bell sleeve trend.

Try shopping around on Charlotte Russe, an online site, to find some different iterations of the mesh bell-sleeve look. If you want to take the bell sleeves into the nightlife or any other more formal occasion, I would suggest investing in a mesh, bell-sleeved top or dress.

Styling bell sleeves for the inexperienced can be a little bit of a guesswork, but if you break down the type of look you want to go for, you can always find a statement sleeve top to fit with your look.

Bell-sleeve and statementsleeve tops are incredibly versatile.

If you want a casual or more

laid-back look, stick with a smaller sleeve that comes in a more neutral or basic pattern, much like the ones you would start out with as a statement sleeve beginner.

For something more formal or work-related, try darker colors in larger or more structured sleeves.

Ones that hit you at about forearm length or t-shirt length look the most polished and put together.

Pair with a nice pair of slacks or a dress skirt, depending on your preference. You can also lean more business casual and pair a more structured sleeve with a nice pair of jeans. You will still retain the polished look, but you’ll have the added bonus of a comfortable pair of jeans.

Wearing statement or structured sleeve tops and dresses does not not have to feel like you’re drowning in excess arm fabric. Take it slow, plan your outfit approach and you’ll be just fine. •

Hell on Wheels is a TV series that is based off the character of a former Confederate soldier named Cullen Bohannon. Fueled by revenge over the death of his wife from Union soldiers, Bohannon doubles Courtesy of Entertainment One as a worker for the Union Pacific Railroad building the first transcontinental railroad. He finds himself struggling to survive in a lawless town called “Hell on Wheels,” which is a mobile town that follows the construction of the railroad. I soon found myself binge watching the entire series whenever I had free time. The entire show keeps its viewers on the edge of their seats and keeps rooting for Bohannon through the best of times as well as the worst of times. This is a must-watch for anyone who loves action. (Gerald Maib)

CRIME SERIES

Peaky Blinders Peaky Blinders is a Netflix original series taking place in post-World War I in Birmingham, England. The story is centered around a cunning young man named Thomas Shelby and his gangster family who operate a small Courtesy of Judgemental Films gambling ring. The story begins with an arms shipment going missing, so the English government ends up sending a Chief Investigator in an attempt to find the missing shipment as well as clean up the streets. As the search heats up, the Shelby’s, who were the culprits behind the stolen shipment, use their influence and new bargaining piece to rise into power. If you are fan of crime/dramas where the bad guy always wins, then this is the show for you. (Ian Bouchard)

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 15

SPORTS

The EWU football team boasted a combined 3.07 grade point average in the Winter Quarter, and had 34 players selected to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team | Brad Brown for The Easterner

Getting it Done in the Classroom

EWU student-athletes have now gone 29 straight quarters with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 Riley Baker

Staff Reporter Along with all of the on-field successes, EWU’s student-athletes have found success in the classroom.

This past winter quarter, EWU athletics had the highest GPA in the history of the athletic department, the average being a 3.44 GPA. That GPA also extends the streak of consecutive quarters at or above a 3.0 to 29 quarters for the department, a streak that started in the Fall of 2007 with a GPA of 3.13.

“It’s an expectation,” said Jim Fitzgerald, assistant athletic director for student success.

“If they don’t want to go to class, and they don’t want to get good grades, and they don’t want to graduate, then Eastern’s not for them.

That’s the expectation, and it starts with our coaching staff.”

This expectation is apparent at EWU, especially after the successful winter quarter.

Among the 283 student athletes at EWU, 77 percent had a GPA above a 3.5, while 18

16 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

student-athletes achieved a 4.0. One of the components to the department’s coaching staff who preaches success in the classroom is women’s basketball head coach Wendy Schuller, whose team averaged a 3.56 GPA over winter quarter.

“We don’t want to just get by in a class, we want to do the very best that we can and we want to strive towards greatness,” said Schuller. “I always tell people, I’m probably as hands on as any coach in America when it comes to academics. Our players will come in and sit down and we’ll look at their degree program and I’ll help them figure out what classes they’re going to take.”

For the past two years now, EWU has won the Big Sky Conference President’s Cup. This award accounts for both the academic achievements and athletic performance of student-athletes.

“We want you to perform in your respective sport at the highest level you can, but truly, at the end of the day, you’re here to get your degree,” athletic director Bill Chaves said.

The student-athletes at EWU understand the winning mentality both on the field and in the classroom, and the athletic department gives them the opportunities to do so.

Ty Gibson is a sophomore at EWU and plays guard on the men’s basketball team. He had a 3.99 GPA over his freshman year and was selected as scholar athlete of the month in February, along with women’s basketball forward Ashli Payne.

“It’s just kind of a big accountability thing,” said Gibson. “We’re all held responsible for going to class each day. We’ve got to let our coaches know when we’re done with class each day, and obviously, the athletic department stresses it a lot too.”

A big contributor to their success is athletic study table that the department provides. The study table runs three hours a night, four nights a week and is supervised by retired high school teacher Earl Overlie, along with three other on-site tutors. Freshmen studentathletes are required to go for around four hours a week, and the study table averaged 70 students a night in fall quarter.

“It’s a program that enables our kids, that they know four nights a week there’s a place on campus that gets them out of their dorm or out of their apartment that’s quiet,” Fitzgerald said.

This has created an environment among the student athletes themselves to do well in the classroom.

“It’s coach-led, but players are pushing it as well,” said Gibson. “Every night people are going.

It’s a cool environment just because from every team there are people there. There are tutors there and people who can help you out.”

This attitude towards academic success within the athletic department is a team achievement. While everyone in the department contributes, the attitude starts at the top.

“Whenever I talk to recruits and our student athletes, I say three things: earn your degree, be a leader and perform to the highest level in your sport,” said Chaves. “The first two are really non-negotiable. Earn your degree and go be a leader. That’s the very first thing that we preach and I’ve preached it over and over again, and we have an expectation you will do well.” •

New Wide Receivers Coach Jay Dumas is Ready to Make His Mark Chris Valdez

For The Easterner

New EWU football wide receiver coach Jay Dumas watches during the team’s scrimmage on April 22 Brandon Cline for The Easterner

In his first year at EWU, new wide receivers coach Jay Dumas is ready and eager to step in and make a positive impact on the football program in his first season as a coach.

Dumas is looking to use this next coaching opportunity as a way to help EWU receivers improve both on and off the field, as best as he can. Dumas said he views this position as the next chapter of his life and an opportunity to work with a great program.

The loss of a head coach and wide receivers coach has opened the door for Aaron Best and Dumas to slide into those positions, respectively.

Eagle fans are already well acquainted with Best in his role as both a player and coach over the past two decades, but Dumas is a relative unknown.

The WSU graduate has coached wide receivers at Western Washington University (1999-2002), Big Sky Conference foe Montana State University (2003-2006) and most recently at Central Washington University (2014-2016).

Between 2007 and 2014, Dumas also spent time in Yakima,

Washington as Davis High School’s offensive coordinator, where he coached both former EWU wide receiver and soon-tobe NFL Draft pick Cooper Kupp and EWU sophomore linebacker Ketner Kupp.

For EWU receivers, the transition from one receiver coach to another has been relatively smooth. Dumas has had a great first impression on this year’s EWU wide receiver group.

For senior wide receiver Nic Sblendorio, Dumas’ high energy levels was the first thing he noticed.

“He’s an exciting coach to play for,” Sblendorio said.

Junior wide receiver Nsimba Webster concurs and said that Dumas’ fun personality has made the transition easy and comfortable for the players.

“I’m trying to be a good big brother to those guys,” Dumas said, emphasizing his hard work and dedication to his players.

EWU receivers are looking to take the next big step to improve their game and fill the void that seniors Kupp, Kendrick Bourne and Shaq Hill left, with new receiving coach Jay Dumas leading the way. •

EWU Track and Field Compete in Local Meet as Big Sky Championships Near Logan Stanley Copy Editor

Over the course of the weekend, the EWU track and field team participated in the Spokane Memorial Meet hosted at Spokane Falls Community College. The meet -- which consisted of competition from the University of Idaho, Gonzaga University and community colleges from the Spokane area -- saw 17 different Eagles take home titles across 11 events and four all-time marks set.

A trio of athletes on the men’s and a pair on the women’s side paved the way for EWU at the meet, with

dominant showings in the men’s throws and women’s sprints.

For the men, it was seniors Scottie Miller and Shawn Buck in the discus and hammer throws, respectively. Miller won the discus with a toss of 168-4, while Buck took home first in the hammer with a mark of 179-5. Finishing second to both those individuals in each event was junior Aaron Cunningham, who capped off his outdoor debut with a win in the shot put (55-0).

Joining the throwers in their victorious ways was the men’s sprint team. Junior Jeremy Van Assche won the 100 meters in a time of 10.70. VanAssche also doubled to

anchor the 4x100 relay team to a win in 41.00. That time moves the EWU squad up to third on the Big Sky performance list.

On the women’s side, it was a convincing showing in the sprints.

The 4x100 meter relay squad, staying on course with their peers, took first in 47.00. In the 100 meters, five Eagles finished in the top eight, with junior Rebecca Tarbert winning in 12.13.

Senior Paige Hammock took third place in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:02.87, good for 10th all-time in program history. Junior Maegan McCurdy won in the long jump, posting

a jump of 18-7. She now sits in ninth on EWU’s all-time list for the event.

In the 200 meters, senior Kendra Hamm, who was just edged out by Tarbet in the 100 meters, won with a time of 25.72.

It was one of many events for Hamm, whose hard work did not go unnoticed.

“Kendra Hamm competed in so many events she almost did a heptathlon in one day,” said women’s head coach Marcia Mecklenburg. “This was one of her best meets ever, running second to Tarbert in the 100, and winning the 200 and 100 hurdles.

She also placed second in the long jump, third in the high jump and threw close to a PR in the javelin. Yikes. That was a heavy duty day.”

Up next for the track and field team is the Oregon State High Performance Meet in Corvallis, Oregon on April 28.

The Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships begin on May 10 in Sacramento, California. •

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 17

Sitting Down With New Head Basketball Coach Shantay Legans Riley Baker

Staff Reporter The Easterner: Introduce yourself to Eagle Nation for those that are unfamiliar with you.

Shantay Legans: “I was a player, I’ve played my whole life. Basketball has taken me everywhere in the world pretty much. I’ve been to Australia because of basketball, I played basketball in Europe, I’ve been to China, I’ve been all over the United States playing basketball. It’s the Courtesy of GoEags.com game I love, but I’ve also created a lot of relationships and a lot of my best friends are in basketball. I got into coaching because when I was younger, I always looked up to coaches. They were the father figures of my life and my mentors. I wanted to be a teacher coming out of college, but I also wanted to play basketball. So I got into coaching my first year out of college instead of going to play in Europe or something and it really stuck. I liked it.”

E: What is it like now to be the head coach of the program?

Legans: “It’s a lot of different things. My schedule is different with dinners and things you have to go to, lunches and breakfasts.

A little bit more than I did as an associate head coach. As an associate head coach, I was still worried about the things that are in the program, but now it’s a different feel because now you’re worried about the coaches you’ve got coming in. You’re worried about the players, you have to worry about things that are going on in campus, what we should put our guys into community service wise.

Now I’m making those types of decisions.

I’m worried about the grades. I was worried about them before, but now I’ve got to make sure these kids are doing great … It’s just a seat over, I’m still doing some of the same stuff I was doing before, just a little bit more responsibility.”

E: What are you looking forward to most in your first season as head coach?

L: “Playing the games. Being able to see how you can build the program.

We had winning ways before, but trying to make it to the next level, bringing in players and good guys into the community that do a good job on the court. Those are some cool things I’m looking forward to.”

E: What things have you learned from Jim Hayford?

L: “Well, he has a passion; he was always very passionate for the game. He built new relationships and he did things the way he wanted to do them. He always taught me that you’ve got to do it the way you want to do it.

It’s going to be your program, you gotta run the program the way you want to do it. So I’ve taken that away, and relationships obviously. He’s a great offensive-minded coach so those things I’ve taken away right away. Just getting the guys out and making them do well in the classroom.”

E: What things from the previous staff will you continue?

L: “The academic part of it, I mean that’s huge. These guys come in and earn big time grades in the classroom. That’s gonna be one of the most important things I do for these kids. Go to class, getting good grades. I think we had three guys on our team this year with over a 3.9 [GPA], we had one 4.0 and one 3.98. So I want to keep the grades where they’re at and they’re going to do it.”

E: What changes might you make as head coach?

L: “Play a little bit faster. Our first couple years we played really fast. I think we have a team, that if we have the depth on the court, that we’re going to go up and down. Defensively we will change a little bit. We want to do a lot of stuff in Cheney, community service wise, because we want to get the Cheney community here. I think it’s a big deal because you want to build inside out and then go out to Spokane. I think there are a lot of fans that we can go out into the Cheney community a little bit more.”

E: Has anything changed on the recruitment front with the coaching changes?

L: “It hasn’t changed anything. We got all our recruits coming in, they’re all staying, all the players. They all elected to stay, which I’m grateful for. I told the guys, it’s because of them I got the job, the stuff they did off the court. Obviously the winning helps. If we were like 1-22 it wouldn’t have mattered. But the stuff they do off the court, the grades they get, and the kids we’re bringing in, we keep bringing in good kids.”

E: When might there be any new additions to the coaching staff?

L: “I’m praying, I wish last week. We’ve got to go through this process of putting the job out there and so we’re just waiting for all that stuff to happen on that side of campus and go through the interview process with some of these guys. I’m going to build a staff here that adds youth to our staff. We’re going to have some guys here that are really energetic and love the game of basketball, guys who are educators, really smart guys. I’m going to bring everyone in who are smarter than me, better than me, so I look really good. That’s one thing that a lot of people told me, go get assistant coaches who want to be head coaches and they’re going to work hard.”

E: What are your expectations in terms of the success and environment of the team in your first year?

L: “I want to get to the NCAA tournament and win the Big Sky tournament. We have the roster, I think we have the players and I think we have the backing of the fans and everything like that and the athletic department to get there. I think the help; we have a great sixth man club that supports us so we can go out and recruit some of these kids that we haven’t been able to do. So that sixth man club is huge for us. I have a good

18 | April 27, 2017 The Easterner

Shantay Legans (right) walking off of the court after a game | Courtesy of GoEags.com feeling about the team we have. We have a team that will be returning some guys, but we’re also bringing some younger guys in.

With [forward] Bogdan [Bliznyuk] and [guard] Sir [Washington], those guys who are all older, [forward] Jesse [Hunt] and [guard] Ty [Gibson] and [guard] Cody [Benzel] who are all returning guys who have played and then [guard] Luka [Vulikic] and [forward] Mason [Peatling] who were freshmen that had a lot of playing time. So we got those guys returning and we also got freshmen guys coming in who we’re hoping to be pretty good.”

E: How do you intend to take this program and make it your own?

L: “I told the guys the very first day, ‘it’s going to be a family environment.’ I was a player, so I understand some of the things that they go through everyday. Sometimes it gets really difficult, that’s something coach Hayford also did, but at the same time, we’re going off family, we’re going off trust and commitment. Those are the most important things to me.” •

The Easterner April 27, 2017 | 19

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