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AY D E E! M A SID G IZ T IN R G T- LOU A C UL P 13 ELECTION WINNERS AND PAGE LOSERS
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FORGOTTEN CAMPUS
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‘CERTAIN WOMEN’ REVIEW
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OPINION
BIG UPS & BACKHANDS The Kaimin’s take on this week’s winners and losers. Have a big up or backhand to contribute? Tweet us at @montanakaimin! Big Ups to memes for oversimplifying the intricacies of politics to make me LOL.
Backhands to white people. That’s all.
Big Ups to South Korea for showing us how to do what we’re going to be doing in a year. Backhands to Kate McKinnon for making my cold heart feel things again.
Week of 11/14/16 - 11/20/16 Leann Skach / @leannskach
ON THE COVER Two protesters stand on a blockade between police and the construction site of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on Nov. 5.
Photo by Sydney MacDonald
KIOSK
FOR RENT 1-2 rooms for rent $400-$800/month +deposit and utilities. W/D and shared kitchen, recently remodeled. In East Missoula, close to University. Call 406-360-7310, leave message.
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OPINION
Week of 11/14/16 - 11/20/16
The Weekly Crossword
Leann Skach / @leannskach
KAI MI N ED I TO R IA L
The joke that isn’t funny By Editorial staff editor@montanakaimin.com
Last week, many Americans sat shell-shocked as state after state turned red. Donald Trump clinched the presidency. It was incomprehensible. How could a man once roasted by Snoop Dogg on Comedy Central possibly lead the nation? How could this blithering, orange-hued, cotton-candy-haired joke of a human being win? That, unfortunately, is precisely how he won — we treated him like a joke. From the very moment he announced his candidacy, our newsfeeds were filled with cracks about his horrible hair and memes mocking his outlandish language. We ignored hate speech and truly terrifying policy positions because it came in a ridiculous package. Trump said climate change was a conspiracy created by China and instead of focusing on the implications that belief could have on our environmental agreements with foreign nations, we chose to focus on the fact that he said “China” in a funny way. He was caught on tape bragging about sexual assault, and after the initial outrage the statement became a trendy Halloween costume. His opponents chose not to see him as a legitimate threat even as he continued to make gains over more qualified politicians like Marco Rubio and John Kasich. And after he secured the nomination, Democrats continued the trend by treating Hillary Clinton’s campaign like a victory lap rather than a competition. The political establishment continually underestimated Donald Trump’s resonance with white voters. It envisioned his supporters in the same way it did Trump: as farcical extremists. It assumed his rally crowds in their silly red hats, spouting ignorant rhetoric, were Trump’s only base in the electorate. In doing so, it counted out a large swath of the American public and the anger and the discontent they felt with the political system that failed them. There are many in America who are still wondering how anyone could have voted for him, how the polls could have been so wrong. The answer is simple. Again and again, the media, ourselves included, perpetuated the idea that voting for Donald Trump, a comic book villain of a presidential candidate, was insane. It made those who agreed with his policies feel ashamed to voice their opinions, lest they too be labeled as crazy. We never really debated the issues, because half the country was too ashamed to argue. But within the voting booth, away from the jeers of the public, these voters felt free to express their true feelings. We operated in an echo chamber of Saturday Night Live sketches and late-night monologues that sold Trump as a joke. And now America has to live with a four-yearlong punchline. •
ACROSS 1 Field yield 5 Mouth, slangily 9 Dart about 13 Aesop racer 14 Cobbler fruit 15 Foreign currency 16 Locket shape 17 Ready for a refill 18 At the peak 19 Like some secrets 21 Tranquil 23 Grain grinder 24 Darkroom chemical 25 Shakespearean title character 28 Explain fully 32 Pupil protector 34 Issue 35 Scot's cap 36 Farmer's place, in song 37 Roof edge 39 Whimper 40 Bearded beast 41 Carplike fish 42 Haunted house offering 44 What some are made for 47 "Teeny" follower 48 Church donation 49 Time to beware 51 Celestial body 53 Threshold 57 Criminal group 58 GPS calculation 60 Clay-rich soil 61 Grimm beginning 62 Calculator, at times 63 Seaweed, for one 64 Farm fodder 65 Social equal 66 Advertising sign
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DOWN 1 Army food 2 90's party 3 Kind of thermometer 4 All mixed up 5 Philadelphia university 6 Awestruck 7 Play the part 8 Newton, e.g. 9 Like some slacks 10 English major's concern 11 It may be pumped 12 Runner's goal 14 Leave in a hurry, with "out" 20 Flightless bird 22 Departure 24 Get really upset 25 Grass plant 26 Serengeti scavenger 27 Disinclination 29 River blocker
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OPINION K AIMIN COLUMN
Donald Trump, our NFL commissioner
To understand what the looming Donald Trump inauguration means for the U.S., one must simply look at his past. His real estate success speaks for itself, and he has branded himself as a hands-on businessman. Trump’s endeavors in sports tell a different story. During the days of the United States Football League, a springtime rival to the NFL in the 1980s, Trump owned the powerhouse New Jersey Generals. He encouraged other owners to hold the season during the fall to compete with the NFL, a move that many believe led to the league’s dissolution. While the terrifying repercussions of the imminent Trump administration are still prevalent, we should count our blessings that he never sought the NFL commissioner’s chair. But, let’s consider for a moment that he had. While Trump never expressed interest in heading the NFL, several demographics would benefit from Trump as commission-
er. Players like Ray Rice and Greg Hardy, both of whom were arrested for domestic violence, would have seen lighter sentences. You could forget ever seeing the inaugural NFL game in Mexico City. Trump wouldn’t need a wall to stop that from
“Offense might take a historic hit — after all it’s tough to move the ball when you’re building walls everywhere.” happening. He would not deprive just Mexicans from live football, though. Trump might even build a literal fortress around each stadium to seclude some football fans from the lesser ones on Sunday. Soccer
fans that come to watch football take good seats from hardworking, true football fans anyway. With Trump’s varying interest in walls and crude rebuttals, the NFL would see record numbers on the defensive side. Offense might take a historic hit — after all it’s tough to move the ball when you’re building walls everywhere. Football old-timers wouldn’t mind. Trump would make football great again, back when ramming practically naked heads together and players dying in their 20s due to severe brain trauma was the standard. But, dammit, that’s how the game was meant to be played. A true manly man’s game, for men! But you would be in luck if you were a player in Trump’s league. If Trump was the NFL commissioner, that means health care may still exist and you could get proper care for your severely damaged brain. There’s still plenty to worry about for sports fans with Trump leading the free world. Storied franchises like the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Los Ange-
les Rams, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers — even Trump’s home New York Jets and Giants — might be submerged in boiling seawater by the time Trump leaves office. If Trump managed to maintain a stronghold in football, we might still have the USFL. Granted, the USFL likely would have morphed into a segregated Trump-topian playground of reckless rules if he ever took over, but it would exist nonetheless. The sports world lucked out that Trump stayed away. It would be a hassle in many ways to make the transition. How are you going to replace all of those stadium roofs with glass ceilings?
Nick Puckett is a Kaimin opinion columnist. Email him at nicholas. puckett@umontana.edu
K AIMIN COLUMN
There are not plenty of fish in the sea A new assessment released by the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean estimates that the bluefin tuna population in the northern Pacific are still 96 percent below their historic baseline. This is no improvement from their dire state in 2015. The World Wildlife Foundation lists the main contributing factors to bluefin overfishing as poor fisheries management, government subsidies and pirate fishing vessels. All of these behaviors can be traced back to one simple cause: money. There’s a colossal economic incentive when it comes to these fish. At Tokyo’s fish market auction in 2015, one bluefin tuna sold for a staggering $37,000 alone. We are willing and eager to purchase this threatened and endangered species of fish for consumption, so the unsustainable fishing practices don’t stop. Still, the Pacific bluefin is not in nearly
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as much trouble as its Atlantic or Southern counterparts, which are listed as endangered and critically endangered respectively. The species is still threatened by the world’s unquenchable hunger for bluefin. The same ISC assessment noted that
“The total collapse of our world’s fisheries could be a reality by as soon as 2048.” Pacific bluefin are being harvested more frequently under the age of two years old, meaning that many of these fish will be removed before they ever have the chance to reproduce. Despite all this, we just can’t seem to stop eating them.
“Bluefin tuna belly is one of the most delicious things in the world,” said Bruce Mattel, associate dean of food production at the Culinary Institute of America. This isn’t a problem strictly limited to bluefin, although it may be the poster child. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association lists 65 different species of fish as either threatened or endangered, with many new additions making an appearance in 2016. Our unsustainable fishing practices are so severe that it has lead one group of scientists to speculate that, following our current patterns, the total collapse of our world’s fisheries could be a reality by as soon as 2048. Although increased and enforced governmental regulation would help lessen the severity of the situation, a large component of the solution comes down to an individual level. As consumers, we have the power to stop funding the exploitation of threatened and endangered fish with
our wallets. There are two easy steps all of us can take. Eat less fish, and be sure that the fish you do buy came from a fishery with sustainable population levels and proper management. If we can effectively coordinate individual efforts with better regulation, we can make a real dent in the overfishing crisis. But, one thing is certain — we have to be willing to change our interactions with these species, and that means eating less of them. Clearly, we love fish. But it isn’t yet clear if we love fish enough to save them.
Darian Dovgan is a Kaimin opinion columnist. Email her at darian. dovgan@umontana.edu
NEWS
MONDAY
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Scenes of the
#NoDAPL movement
Olivia Vanni / @ogvanniphoto Destiny Willcouts, 16, looks down the riverbank as police begin to fill the ridgeline on Turtle Hill at the Standing Rock camps Nov. 6. The standoff between police and protesters went on for three hours before the Standing Rock Sioux elders asked for everyone to fall back.
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HE KAIMIN SENT four photographers to the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota for the first weekend in November.
From police standoffs and blockades to everyday camp life, this is part of what they encountered. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
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RIGHT: Jake Green / @jake.m.green A protester sits on a horse just outside the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation camps Nov. 5.
BELOW: Sydney MacDonald / @sydneymacdo An unmarked plane circles the Standing Rock camps Nov. 5. The plane has been circling the camps 24 hours a day. No one can officially confirm that the plane is affiliated with the U.S. government, but many people in the camps believe its purpose is to keep surveillance of the Standing Rock camps.
LEFT: Will McKnight / @willmck_photo A man sits on "Facebook Hill" overlooking the main camp the Standing Rock main camp Nov. 5. The hill is the only area in the camp where a cellphone signal is possible.
Olivia Vanni / @ogvanniphoto
ABOVE: Jake Green / @jake.m.green "This is the medicine that will heal the world," Lyla Johnston said during a peace and forgiveness march to the Morton County Memorial Courthouse on Nov. 6.
LEFT: Will McKnight / @willmck_photo Navy veteran and political activist Kash Jackson, holds an upside-down American flag and a “Veterans for Peace� flag while leading a group on horseback to the Standing Rock main camp Nov. 5.
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November 16-22, 2016
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Sydney MacDonald / @ sydneymaco
A protester points a mirror at police on the other side of a barricade separating them from the Standing Rock camps Nov. 5.
Jake Green / @jake.m.green A community center in the Standing Rock camps lights up at night as people play drums and dance inside on Nov. 5.
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ABOVE: Olivia Vanni / @ogvanniphoto Two protesters run into the river to swim to the opposite bank being occupied by fellow protesters during a standoff with police at Turtle Hill on Nov. 6. LEFT: Will McKnight / @willmck_photo James Paoli cuts a deer's ribcage open while preparing to serve the animal to the main camp Nov. 5. Paoli, on his way from Michigan to Alaska, came across the dead deer on the highway outside of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Paoli picked up a roadkill salvage permit from South Dakota Fish & Wildlife and donated the deer to the main camp.
NEWS
ASUM stands with Standing Rock By Matt Neuman matthew.neuman@umontana.edu
The Associated Students of the University of Montana passed legislation to take an official stance against the Dakota Access Pipeline on Wednesday night. ASUM President Sam Forstag wrote the resolution in support of the protesters in North Dakota. Forstag said he felt it was necessary for ASUM to formally show state legislators how passionately students feel about the issue, and he referenced reports of a Gallatin County sheriff’s officer potentially being sent to the Standing Rock protests. “I think the potential of having Montana Highway Patrol officers sent to North Dakota is enough of a reason for us to act,” Forstag said. “That is certainly not what I want my tax dollars going toward.”
The resolution’s stance is intended to represent not only ASUM but the University of Montana student body at large. Forstag said he knew “more than a handful” of students who had joined protesters at the pipeline site. Students were among hundreds of protesters standing in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe during a rally on the Higgins Avenue Bridge in Missoula on Sept. 13. Senators Meshayla Cox and Kimberly Lamar attended protests in North Dakota on Nov. 5. Cox said they brought a U-Haul van full of donated supplies from Missoula to the reservation. “We have many students who are emotionally distressed about the protests going on,” Cox said. “We have a duty to represent the interests of the Native American minority at this University, and the outcome of these protests could greatly
affect the recognition of treaties that are over 100 years old. We are in a very important time — history is truly in the making.” The resolution met opposition from Sen. Garret Morrill and Vice President Elizabeth Engebretson. Both said they did not feel comfortable casting political opinions on behalf of the student body at large. Additionally, Morrill voiced skepticism about reports that protesters were being unjustly handled by law enforcement. Though some senators described their unease in projecting a campus-wide political view, Sen. Julian Adler said ASUM has a duty to politically represent the student body that elected them. “Students have proven their concern to us at many levels in support of the protests,” Adler said. “These students are doing something political — truly activists, not slacktivists. I think that
as a student government we should reward that kind of involvement, especially in something as groundbreaking and important as this.” The director of American Indian Student Services, Royelle Bundy, said a group of students and faculty are planning a Standing Rock demonstration on Nov. 16 at noon on the Oval. The demonstration will include visuals of protesters and law enforcement to contrast how the two sides are acting. “Students are feeling torn between staying in class or going to Standing Rock,” Bundy said. “I’ve had students ask me what they can do to help, so we’ve collected some ideas and are trying to incorporate some of them.” Prayer circles are planned every school weekday until Nov. 22 at the Payne Family Native American Center fire pit. •
Forgotten campus: Tech students stuck on the outskirts of Missoula By Lucy Tompkins lucy.tompkins@umontana.edu
In a warehouse four miles southwest of downtown Missoula, surrounded by fields of sheep and cows, students work on outdated machines and spill out of overcrowded carpentry shops. This is the Missoula College industrial technology campus, and unlike every other Missoula College department, it won’t be relocating to the new riverside campus set to open next fall. Despite the fact that students may live on the mountain campus and pay the same Associated Students of the University of Montana fees and meal plan fees as the rest of the student body, services on the west campus are not up to par. ASUM buses don’t run that far out of town, there is no food service and many of the machines don’t work at all. Missoula College Dean Shannon O’Brien said due to the amount of money that was spent on the new campus at the mouth of Hellgate Canyon, there is no money for improving the west campus. However, she said it is a fundraising priority. “The facility itself that they’re in right now was not designed for instruction,” O’Brien said. “It was a warehouse, and it’s not what they need.” The program isn’t relocating to the new campus because of the loud machinery and heavy equipment that requires land and space, she said. The west campus houses the carpentry, diesel technology, welding and heavy equipment operation programs, among others. “We’re like the redheaded stepchild of the University,” said Shelby Underwood, a first-
year welding and machinery student. Most students have to find their own transportation to the campus or use the city bus, which stops a mile away at the Target Range Farmer’s Market. In the machine lab, half of the machines sit idle. A row of orange “out of service” tags warn students against using them. After one machine overheated and began to emit smoke, nearly catching fire, program director Jeffrey John stopped allowing students to work on it. “I imagine it was given to us by the government because some of this is World War II vintage stuff,” John said. “And it’s actually quite unsafe, and most of my lathes I’ve got tagged out because they’re not standardized.” A lathe is a machine used for toolmaking. With eight students and only three working lathes, they must either double-up on a machine or sit in the classroom until they can rotate in. John said what he teaches is limited by having so few working machines. Because the equipment is outdated, students also encounter entirely different technology once they enter the workforce, he said. John said new, standardized lathes cost between $60,000 and $80,000. Rather than seek funding from the University, John made connections with businesses and organizations like the Gene Haas Foundation, which gives grants for new machines. The welding department recently updated its equipment through a donation from Miller, one of the largest welding and electric equipment manufacturing companies in the world. Derek Tupper, a sustainable construction student at the west campus, said the carpentry shop gets crowded when all 20 students are simultaneously working. They often spill
Sydney MacDonald / @sydneysmacdo A large number of machines at the Missoula College industrial technology campus are currently out of service and in need of updates.
outside, he said, but that’s only an option when the weather is good, which becomes more infrequent with the onset of winter. Beyond the outdated equipment, there is no food service on the west campus. About once a week, a vending machine is filled with UM Dining sandwiches. Most students and faculty either bring their own food for the day or drive two miles to Taco John’s or Rosauers, Underwood said. A former student who spoke under the condition of anonymity said he used to drive home for lunch each day instead of eating the vending machine sandwiches. He added that because of the antiquated lathe machines, he had to use three separate
machines for a project that should have only required one. The school received a new, standardized machine last fall, but it sat unwired and unworkable for a year, essentially taunting students, he said. “It took me three lathes to make a nationally certified part,” he said. “And I had to stare at that one the whole time.” Precision machining technology student Seth Knowles said the lack of resources has been frustrating, making his return to school after years in the workforce seem unproductive. “It’s tough when you come in to learn something, and you just have to fight it at every turn,” he said. •
montanakaimin.com
November 16-22, 2016
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NEWS
Evaluating the effectiveness of the Montana Meth Project By Lucy Tompkins lucy.tompkins@umontana.edu
The Montana Meth Project is in its 11th year of saturating the state with graphic ads aimed at reducing teen meth use. Scenes of young girls trading sex for drugs, teenagers assaulting their parents for money and emaciated addicts picking at their skin have targeted Montana’s youth with the message “Not Even Once.” While it appears the large-scale advertising campaign has succeeded in raising awareness of Montana’s unrelenting battle with methamphetamine, the project has also been criticized by studies that show it has been ineffective at reducing meth use and may actually cause viewers to see the drug as less risky. Teen meth use has declined from 8 percent in 2005, when the campaign began, to 3 percent in 2009, where it remains today, according to Montana’s High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Due to its apparent success, the project was adopted by seven other states and named the third best philanthropy organization in the world by Barron’s magazine. Montana legislators deemed it so successful that in 2007, they appropriated $1 million to the previously privately funded campaign. A 2008 study published in Prevention Science, a peer-reviewed research journal, surveyed teenagers before and after exposure to the ads. It found a consensus among 50 percent of teenagers that the graphic ads exaggerate the drug’s risks and a threefold increase in the percentage of teens who believe that using meth is not risky. The study also pointed out that MMP’s apparent success in reducing meth use can be attributed to its 2005 launch, which coincided with the imposition of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act. The CMEA restricted the sale of over-the-counter drugs that can be used to manufacture meth, precipitating a 68 percent decrease in meth lab incidents in Montana, according to a 2006 report by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The study recommended MMP’s campaign be put on hold pending “rigorous research.” When asked about this study, MMP Executive Director Amy Rue said in an email that the report is over eight years old. Rue did not respond to other inquiries about the MMP. Another 2010 study by D. Mark Anderson, assistant professor of economics at Montana State University, found little evidence that the MMP impacted meth use among high schoolers. “The relationship between the Meth Project and meth use was generally small and statistically indistinguishable from zero,” the report concluded. Montana’s teen meth use has also been declining since 1999, which suggests other factors were at play before the ad campaign began. Despite questions regarding MMP’s success,
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Rene Sanchez / nenesanchez440 The Montana Meth Project’s latest advertising campaign features artwork from the Montana community.
it still garners support from addiction experts and health workers statewide, who say it sparked dialogue about an often neglected issue. Malcolm Horn, director of learning and clinical supervision at Rimrock Foundation, an addiction treatment center near Billings, said the MMP started an important conversation about the dangers of meth use. “I think they’ve done a good job of getting the message out that it’s not something to do for fun,” Horn said. “It can turn deadly very quickly.” Horn added that while scare tactics work on some teens, most rarely consider the long-term effects of drug use. Often, teens see no resemblance between the sore-covered addicts on MMP billboards and their friends or family members who use meth. Horn said the Rimrock Foundation hasn’t seen any significant change in young meth patients since MMP’s ad campaign began. She added that people generally know meth is bad, and the focus needs to turn to treatment and drug education. Kerry Herndon, addiction and project success counselor at Sentinel High School in Missoula, said meth is a growing problem among her students. Students who attend class while high or are known by their peers to use drugs are referred to Herndon’s office. She said meth use has “definitely increased” at Sentinel High School in the past year. Herndon said it’s difficult to gauge MMP’s
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impact on students. Some have told her the ads seem exaggerated, saying, “I know a lot of people that are using meth, and they don’t look that way or act that way.” Herndon attributes the increase in student meth use to easier access from friends and family and said the perception among students that “everybody is trying it” makes meth more appealing. She added that drug education should begin in middle school and should address brain development and healthy coping skills for students dealing with stress and anxiety. “I don’t know that scare tactics are the best approach,” Herndon said. “And if you look at evidence-based prevention models, they say those are the least effective.” That said, a 2012 study published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that while fear is an ineffective tactic on its own, adding an element of disgust may dissuade people from using drugs. The study suggested that MMP’s graphic images with blood and rotting teeth may be effective, though it didn’t evaluate actual attitudes among young Montanans. MMP uses a variety of media campaigns to spread its message, including a video contest called “Life or Meth.” This year’s winner, Laira Fonner, a psychiatric residential nurse at Pathways Treatment Center in Kalispell, knows the devastation of meth addiction well. In addition to treating meth-affected patients, her son was addicted to meth for 10 years.
“It was devastating,” Fonner said. “I was pretty certain I would have a dead son. I don’t think you can prepare yourself for that, but stupidly, I was thinking I should probably prepare a funeral. I kept asking him, ‘What do you want your funeral to be like?’” After nine months in the NEXUS Methamphetamine Treatment Center, Fonner said her son has been clean for more than two years. The MMP’s message is helpful for kids who might impulsively consider trying meth, Fonner said. But for young people who are already at risk because of a mental illness or meth use in their family, the ads may not make a difference. “They feel less optimistic about their future, so why not do a drug that makes you feel good for a few hours? The next outreach needs to be toward kids faced with those situations,” Fonner said. The MMP is credited with encouraging open discussion and education about meth abuse. But it appears the ad campaign has had little lasting impact on teen meth use. Fonner said her son, who started his own chapter of Narcotics Anonymous, proposes a different approach. “The Montana Meth Project has always been ‘Not Even Once,’ but what about the people that have been struggling with an addiction and can’t seem to get past it?” Fonner said. “And what my son says is those people need a message that has a little bit of hope; that you’ve got this horrible affliction now, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of your life.” •
NEWS
No day off: MontPIRG makes final push By Kasey Bubnash kasey.bubnash@umontana.edu
While most University of Montana students had Election Day off, students volunteering for the Montana Public Interest Research Group were up at 5:30 a.m., dropping voter guides on Missoula’s doorsteps. There were more than 35 volunteers that worked 114 shifts throughout MontPIRG’s busiest day of the year, according to Executive Director Bryce Bennett. The volunteers were responsible for making phone calls, knocking on doors, dropping off voting literature and providing rides for voters to polling places. Bennett said MontPIRG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing resources to young Missoulians who need to feel empowered to vote. For the past two months, Bennett said MontPIRG has made more than 10,000 phone calls, knocked on thousands of doors and provided rides for those who haven’t registered or voted due to lack of transportation. “We’re doing everything we can to get young people out to vote,” Bennett said. “It’s been exciting to see the way young people have refused to sit on the sidelines for this election.” Bennett said MontPIRG even hired two additional “Get Out the Vote” student organizers for this election season, who were in charge of organizing events to help inform young Missoulians about political candidates. GOTV organizer Ashley Smith said because Election Day was her last day of work, her time spent in MontPIRG’s Election Day headquarters, in the basement of Christ the King Church, was bittersweet. “Some days are long,” Smith said, adding that the occasional hang-ups and doors slammed can be discouraging. “But it’s been really fun, and I’m sure I’ll volunteer in the future.” Smith, a 19-year-old sophomore at UM, said she and the other GOTV organizers were responsible for a forum event called Keeping up with the Kandidates, which was held a few weeks ago in the University Center. About 19 Montana political candidates and ballot measure representatives showed up to inform community members about the issues, Smith said. Smith also helped organize the University’s early voting day on Nov. 1, during which MontPIRG and Forward Montana
Will McKnight / Montana Kaimin @WillMcK_Photo MontPIRG organizers Ashlee Pedersen and Ella Crowder call Missoula’s registered voters, reminding them to vote on Nov. 8.
drove around campus in golf carts and gave students rides to the UC where they could vote. Smith said Forward Montana even brought goats and dogs to the voting station in the UC to grab people’s attention.
“Empowering the next generation of civic leaders is really important, Ben Stone MontPIRG board member
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MontPIRG volunteers, each dressed in red shirts that read “Netflix and Vote,” were responsible for making and taking
phone calls for hours at a time. While sitting among a wide variety of snacks and Panda Express, UM freshman and MontPIRG volunteer Vanessa Hernandez complained to a friend about people without voicemail boxes. “I think a total of two people have answered the phone today,” Hernandez said. “But I’m in almost every Missoulian’s voicemail box.” Hernandez said while many people don’t answer MontPIRG’s calls, she’s been surprised at how friendly those who do have been. In fact, Hernandez said, most people were actually happy to have more non-partisan information on how to register and vote. “It’s important,” Hernandez said. “There are too many people who think their votes don’t matter. Those people don’t realize you can vote for local things and how exciting it is.” Campus organizer Caleb Horton spent his afternoon walking quickly from door to door in the neighborhood between
Beckwith Avenue and the UM golf course. Horton said he was freezing earlier in the morning but by 3 p.m. he was sweating. Horton said he hit 40 to 50 houses during each two to three hour canvassing shift. Most homes were empty or the targeted person, usually an 18 to 29-year-old, had moved to a different place. At each empty house, Horton left a voter guide on the steps. Leaving them in mailboxes is illegal. When he finished knocking on doors, Horton made his way back to MontPIRG headquarters to start his shift making phone calls. MontPIRG board member and UM junior Ben Stone said while it’s been a long two months of canvassing, the volunteers never seem to grow tired of it. “Empowering the next generation of civic leaders is really important,” Stone said. “We’re just trying to show the value in our democratic system.” •
montanakaimin.com
November 16-22, 2016
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ARTS+CULTURE
‘Certain Women’ highlights the strength in Montana women Film review: CERTAIN WOMEN DIRECTOR KELLY REICHARDT By Kathleen Stone kathleen.stone@umontana.edu
“Certain Women” tells the stories of four women living in small-town Montana. It documents these ordinary lives with an indie flair that takes a bit of thought and analysis, but ultimately shows the day-to-day strength of normal women. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January and was later screened at the New York Film Festival in October, but arguably, this movie is just as much for Montanans as it is for indie film lovers. It was primarily filmed outside of Living-
ston, but featured or mentioned Bozeman, Billings, Belfry and more. It features big names like Kristen Stewart and Michelle Williams, but also includes breakout star Lily Gladstone, a Blackfeet member who studied theater at the University of Montana. The four women who make up the film are all women you might know, in some way, from home. Broken into three parts, these four women show different aspects of Montana through subtle interpretations of stories written by Helena
author, Maile Meloy. Laura Dern plays an attorney with a difficult client. In the face of blatant sexism at work she maintains a calm demeanor. Without spoiling anything about the movie, she shows incredible power and patience in a time of crisis. This calmness during stress is something that, to some degree, many women deal with every day at work. Michelle Williams plays a stubborn wife who pushes to improve her house and, in turn, her marriage. She battles a classically angsty teenager and a seemingly clueless husband as she pushes forward. “Be nice to your mom ... she does a lot for us,” states Williams’ character’s husband. The daughter doesn’t see how her dad’s construction of their house isn’t equivalent, but the film focuses on how Williams’ character goes about getting sandstone for their new house. Once
again, it’s subtle, but it’s a statement on how women so often run the house while their husbands get the credit. The third section juxtaposes Kristen Stewart, playing a recent law school graduate, with Lily Gladstone, who acts as an animal caretaker at a ranch outside of a small town. The characters meet at an evening class that Stewart’s character teaches and Gladstone’s character stumbles across. This section features the indie trope of a small town diner, where Stewart and Gladstone’s characters’ bond over feeling unsure of where to go in their lives. Don’t watch this film expecting dramatic explosions, declarations of love or blatant emotions. Watch this film to see the strength in the women around you, in whatever phase they’re in. “Certain Women” is playing at the Roxy until Nov. 17. •
‘Doctor Strange’ has style but no substance Film review: DOCTOR STRANGE DIRECTOR SCOTT DERRICKSON
By Drew Novak and Bowen West drew.novak@umontana.edu and bowen.west@umontana.edu
Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a genius neurosurgeon with an ego that rivals Tony Stark’s. After a car accident he searches for a way to repair his damaged hands. He looks for healing from the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) who teaches him about the magical forces unknown by the rest of the world. To review the 14th film in the ever-expanding Marvel cinematic universe we didn’t just send one reporter, we sent two. Drew Novak: Let it be known, I am not typically a fan of superhero films. Origin stories in particular are usually dull affairs, setting the stage, but never really getting anywhere. “Doctor Strange” is no different. Man suffers tragedy. Man gains supernatural abilities. Man fights generic evil — if I never see another oversized floating head villain in a Marvel movie again, it’ll be too soon. Aside from his
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mastery of vaguely mystical “powers,” what exactly separates the good Doctor from his comic book cohorts? Perhaps someone more knowledgeable could explain. Bowen West: I agree with you for the most part. “Doctor Strange” is a generic Marvel movie. It has a weak villain, a lopsided origin story and the love interest is poorly written. DN: I don’t think people ask for topnotch dramatic skill in a movie like this. The cast is sufficient, with the divine Tilda being my personal favorite. Her bald, shining head was captivating throughout. More of her, please. On the other hand, Rachel McAdams is completely forgettable as the Doctor’s former flame, Christine Palmer. I have no idea how she is written as a character in the comics, but her presence felt entirely unnecessary here.
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BW: I think this is a problem that has plagued a lot of these superhero movies: A love interest for the sake of a love interest. This character’s only purpose is to motivate Doctor Strange. DN: Benedict Cumberbatch strikes me as an odd choice to anchor a popcorn flick like “Doctor Strange,” but I suppose he isn’t portraying the average Marvel hero. Cumberbatch plays Strange with such pitch-perfect arrogance it was hard to watch. It’s a rare film that makes me want to punch its ostensible hero. Cumberbatch certainly accomplished that. And I know Bowen was particularly impressed with his Americanized vocal stylings, right? BW: He tries so hard with his American accent! It’s great. Something I really enjoyed with Benedict Cumberbatch was how unlikable he made Strange. There is something really interesting rooting for a superhero out of obligation. While Strange is a fun character to hate, this movie is less concerned with character growth and more invested in making exciting set pieces. DN: And oh, what set pieces those are! This movie is flat-out gorgeous. There is an imaginative quality to the effects that stuns on the big screen. There is a moment early in the film when the eternally brilliant Tilda sends the Doctor on a
mind-bending journey through time and space. The entire sequence looked like the ending of “2001: A Space Odyssey” cranked up to 11. “Doctor Strange” is at its best during those fantastic set pieces. I would have paid for a two-hour film of nothing but them. BW: It’s easily the best-looking Marvel film yet. It’s been compared to Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.” The difference being that Nolan is a complete wet blanket, and this movie gets creative with its dreamlike sequences. DN: Seriously. Even the 3-D was worth it, and I’ve only said that about two films before. “Coraline” and “Avatar,” in case you were curious. I know you were.
Final thoughts DN: So should you see this movie? Maybe. Do you need a couple hours to exercise your eyeballs? Do you worship at the altar of Tilda? Are you dying to hear Benedict Cumberbatch’s version of a New York accent? If you answered in the affirmative to any of those questions, “Doctor Strange” will likely scratch that superhero movie itch. What do you think, Bowen? BW: It has all of the problems of your standard Marvel movie. But if you want to zone out and watch some creative imagery I highly recommend “Doctor Strange.” •