Jan 27, 2011 (42.5) by SFCC Communicator

Media Bias

New Basketball Season

PG. 3

Jan. 27, 2010 - Feb. 9, 2011

PG. 10

Stop Paying for Cable

spokanefalls.edu/communicator

PG. 11

Volume 42 | Issue 5

SFCC security takes precautions after MLK bomb threat Ashley Hiruko Lauren Miller

The Communicator The bomb threat against Spokane on Jan. 17 had SFCC take additional safety precautions in case of life threatening emergencies. “If you ever see anyone who is acting suspiciously or a suspicious package or activity, the first thing you should do is call security,” Dennis Hauenstein, Head of Campus Security, said. The number for campus security is posted on all

building entrances. If a student makes a report it must be detailed so that security can fully assess the situation. According to Hauenstein, campus security stayed alert during the Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon because of the attempted bombing downtown. “We just figured that we needed to act so we implemented our emergency management program,” Hauenstein said. “We met with the administrators in the morning, figured out a plan, called the Spokane Police Department and talked to their liaison to get help from them. “We ended up not locking down the building but we posted people inside to look for suspicious packages.” During the luncheon, there were Spokane Police offi-

cers patrolling the parking lot and campus. Extra security was in place asking teachers and students to leave backpack and bags at the door. “Given the incident downtown on Monday, let us be more attentive today in our efforts to monitor any backpacks or other suspicious items left alone near or around this event today,” Gregory Roberts, Associate Dean of Student Life, said in a precautionary email. Though no threats were made to the school, SFCC has been trying to raise vigilance among teachers and students. “We’re the people who go to the problem,” Hauenstein said. “If you’re in a room and someone is out in the hall SECURITY | Page 2

CCS Foundation offers scholarships Stephen Artman

The Communicator Tuition costs a full-time SFCC student $934 or more per quarter. With scholarships, the entire cost can be covered. Financial aid can offer assistance. However, even if a student qualifies it may not cover all of their needs. Student loans can cover the entire cost of school, except every cent borrowed needs to be paid back. Scholarships, on the other hand, offer what is essentially free money. Investing an hour or two into applying for a scholarship can result in hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in aid.

Flying Free

A bi-weekly travel feature by Deby Dixon

PG. 7

SCHOLARSHIPS | Page 2

Simplified math placement procedures for incoming students My Math Test (MMT) will be extended for placement through pre-calculus Lauren Miller

The Communicator New math placement tests and standards are coming to campus. On Jan. 13 the Testing Center and Math Department met to discuss the placement process. It was concluded that “SFCC will discontinue using the Math Placement Test- General (MPTG) as part of its placement process. In its place, SFCC will extend MMT testing up to or through Precalculus and then use COMPASS for higher level

INDEX

placement.” These developments are expected to be in place March 15. “Transition is hard sometimes when adjustments must be made along the way,” Jim Minkler, Vice President of Learning, said. “But we will get it right, and I think we are well on our way to doing a much better job of placing students in the correct math courses so they can be successful.” Math testing is also now a required step for new students. Until recently only the English placement test was required to sign up for classes. “The policy has been changed beMATH | Page 2

FOCUS PG. 11

PERSPECTIVES...................3

Evolution of the Television

The Communicator

SFCC student Andrew Parish takes My Math Test, a required test for all new SFCC students. Previously, only the English placement test was required to sign up for classes.

BYTES

NEWS................................2

SIDELINES........................10

Nicole Denman | The Communicator

PG. 8 Dealing with cancer

509.533.3602

CULTURE

PG. 6 Art classes in a chicken coop

www.twitter.com/_communicator

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011

Security:

What to do when you know the worst is coming From page 1

firing shots, you want to try to barricade yourself in that room and stay and hide. You lock the door you pull the shades so that they can’t see.” According to the Emergency Management Plan, which can be found posted in most classrooms, the first act of a student or teacher in a lifethreatening situation should be to call 911 if it is possible to get to the phone. In case of Hostile Armed Confrontation, the plan instructs to remain calm and try to calm down the threatening person. “For a teacher, trying to talk [the threatening person] down is a good thing to do,” Hauenstein said. “Maybe they can, maybe they can’t. There’s safety in numbers. It’s a group effort.” Hauenstein urges everyone to be aware of the Emergency Management Plan so that if an incident oc-

News curs people know how protect themselves and those around them. “I’d call 911 if I had a phone, but I don’t carry my cell phone with me from class to class,” Christie Anderson, English instructor, said. “Under that kind of extreme situation being calm and grabbing the closest person to you and telling them to call 911 [is how I would react.]” Calling 911 and security is the best course of action in a threatening situation. “I wouldn’t know what to do; I wouldn’t even know where to start [in a threatening situation]” firstquarter student Bobbi Mclallen said. “I guess if I saw someone with a gun I would probably find security. “I don’t know what I would do; I’ve never been in that kind of situation.” It is up to everyone to be aware of their environment in order to be safe and prepared. “Everybody out there is a set of eyes and ears for us, we’re limited in the number of people we have here and we can’t be everywhere at once,” Hauenstein said.

The Communicator

Math: Safety Tips Security: Building 17, Room 127

Contact: (509)-533-3446

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 6:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Suspicious package: Do not open and call the security office

Bomb threat: Do not touch any suspicious object and call 911 and SFCC security. Threats of violence: Call 911 if the threat is immediate; if not, call security. Source: Emergency Management Plan

Testing is about to change From page 1

-cause people keep putting [placement testing] off and then they get upset when they’ve been here for two years and they have 90 credits but no math,” Smith said. Until March 15, there are two math placements tests available at SFCC. One is the MMT and the other is the MPT-G. Students who take the MMT are placed in math classes up to the college level—Math 90, Math 93, Math 94, or Math 98—until they prove math proficiency and can move to college classes. Passing the MPT-G test allows students to skip straight to college-level classes. “If you take the MPT-G, the more [questions] you get correct the higher you place,” Gayle Smith, SFCC Testing Coordinator, said. The Math Department hopes that these changes will be reflected by improvements in students’ learning and success. “When you recognize that some things could be working better for students and you brave change, it is important to keep in mind that sometimes the change has to be tweaked once or twice before you get things right,” Minkler said.

Wellness Club issues challenge to change unhealthy lifestyles Kirk Bayman

The Communicator

Deby Dixon | The Communicator

Tammy Messing is the Program Support Supervisor at the Career and Student Employment Center.

Scholarships:

Students are urged to take advantage of financial opportunities From page 1

“[Scholarships] would make my life so much easier,” said Justin Cameron, a student at SFCC who had to pay the cost of tuition himself while waiting on financial aid. “Even if the scholarship is only for like $250 and you work two hours on it, you just made $125 dollars an hour,” Vicki Schmitt, Program Coordinator at the Career and Student Employment Center said. SFCC has provided resources to help students find financial assistance that is available to them. These resources are available both on the web and on campus. Multiple scholarship databases can be viewed at http:// www.spokanefalls.edu/Resources/Careers/ScholarshipInfo.aspx The Career and Student Employment Center is an oncampus resource located in the Student Union Building, in the hallway to the right of the financial aid center. It provides assistance, information and resources to students seeking scholarships. Community Colleges of Spokane has its own scholarship foundation. According to the SFCC website, the CCS Foundation offers “over 200 scholarships with varying eligibility requirements.” The available scholarships cover a broad range of students. This includes

scholarships for culinary, civil engineering, electronics, nursing, and photography students. “Over the last five years we have awarded $1,873,621 to 6,769 students,” said Patci Ryan, CCS Foundation Grants Coordinator. “Our scholarships range from a $12 parking permit to an almost full scholarship of $2,700 per year.” The money is out there and assistance is available to help you find it. Tammy Messing, Program Support Supervisor at the Career and Student Employment Center, along with Schmitt and Ryan, will be hosting a Scholarship Workshop on Feb. 1. It will take place in the VIP room of the SUB at 11:30 a.m. They will cover many of the basics of applying for scholarships, the timing of applications, and instruction on the use of the SFCC scholarship database. According to Messing and Schmitt, most selection committees award their scholarships around the month of April, so applying soon is crucial. Applying early could be the difference between receiving a check and writing a check.

Winter Quarter’s Wellness Challenge is currently underway at SFCC, giving students the chance to win a Tshirt, an iPod, extra credit and—with some effort—a happier, healthier person. The Wellness Challenge pamphlet, available in the Student Government Office, lists 70 different acts and habits aimed at a person’s physiological and emotional health. The list ranges from swapping fries for a salad to sitting up straight while watching TV. Any student who completes 60 items or more shall receive a t-shirt as well as a raffle ticket for an iPod Shuffle. According to SFCC Wellness Coordinator Sheri Staudinger, last quarter’s challenge saw more than 140 student participants, making it the largest and most successful Wellness Challenge in the program’s history. “The whole mindset behind [the Wellness Challenge] is to help people be healthier, which in turn makes them happier,” Staudinger said. “When I started this position three years ago, we had maybe 20 [students] complete the challenge.” Certain instructors in the health, psychology and social services departments offer extra credit, to students who compete the challenge. Staudinger cited extra credit as an extra incentive for students to be more health conscious.

Where to go: Building 17 Career and Student Employment Office Phone: Vicki Schmitt (509)-533-3545 Email: vickis@spokanefalls.edu

Nicole Denman | The Communicator

Levy Nick-Nomee, 20, is one of many students working to get in shape.

Did You Know?: You can sign up for CCS Alerts to recieve warnings of campus emergencies through texts and emails. Source: ccs.spokane.edu

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011

Perspectives

Joseph Engle | Editor

Media bias

here is the possibility for bias in all media outlets. However, news bias often gets confused with commentary. Perspectives articles that run in The Communicator have a bias. This bias comes from a single student and is their personal opinion, but does not represent the beliefs of our entire staff. A study by the University of California at Berkeley found that 51.2 percent of Berkeley students identified themselves as liberal, while 12 percent were conservative. So, while the opinion section of a college paper may seem liberal, it does not necessarily mean the news or feature content is biased. Media outlets such as Fox News, featuring commentators like Glenn Beck, get a bad rep for being conservatively biased. Beck’s show, while conservative in nature, is not a “news” medium. It is based off of his personal opinion, and is showcased in commentary form. News media also have a bias that can be controlled by advertising or ownership of their company. For example, NBC News is owned by General Electric (GE). NBC is less likely to produce news content that would be detrimental to GE. Additionally, if news outlets have a consistent advertiser, they may be more likely to cater to the interest of that advertiser.

So called liberal media: nonsense, conservative media more like it Paul Haeder

SFCC English Instructor Guest Editorial

recall the hot dry afternoon in July 1980 trudging through an arroyo as I approached the death scene – 13 Salvadorans blistered, bloated like puffer fish, deceased, their smugglers having abandoned them in a deadly, beautiful place: Organ Pipe (cactus) National Monument. They were miles from any road, 130 degrees of suffocating heat rising from the desert floor, no water, and no shade. The battle lines for a print journalist headquartered out of Bisbee, Ariz., whose editors owned newspapers throughout Cochise County, played out in the newsroom as my stories about those deaths, and about ramifications of US policies in Central America, were combed through by my publishers and editors — members of this so-called liberal media. They fought almost every word, forcing me to nuance and tweak a dozen stories that they deemed were too conciliatory, liberal-leaning, anti-US. We couldn’t call these 13 victims “undocumented immigrants.” They questioned my bringing in outside experts on border issues. Why was I quoting ministers, priests or people who had come from El Salvador? I fought to keep in one prescient quote:

thinking. The so-called liberal Dan “What’s causing these deaths is Rather said this on his September 17, our country’s deadly policies in 2001 CBS News broadcast: “George Central America and those of our Bush is the president. He makes the government policing the border and decisions. And, you know, it’s just deporting these asylum seekers . . . one American, wherever he wants more hazardous than these swelterme to line up, just tell me where. ing areas of the desert where they And he’ll make the call.” meet their fates,” said the Rev. John We are journalists, and our job is Fife, a Tucson pastor who had just to uncover truth from been on CBS’ 60 Minutes “Newspapers I’ve worked propaganda, and to give voice to those because he for. . . all of them have working for freedom supported the and democracy -- the underground been ruddered by editors US citizens. We can’t railroad for and owners who are far beat war drums for Central Amerifrom liberal, far from left generals. We have to cans. Fife look underneath the later created a wing.” rhetoric of presidents, program that -Paul Haeder county supervisors, built watering even the dog catcher. We have to stations for immigrants in Arizona. doubt corporations’ motives. Newspapers I’ve worked for, from Newspapers and magazines Southern Arizona to Southern New parade columnists and contributors Mexico, Southwest Texas, and here who are war cheerleaders of the in Spokane, all of them have been worst kind. ruddered by editors and owners who This fogs news judgment. The are far from liberal, far from leftSo-called liberal media (SCLM) is wing. pure propaganda: “Like any classic In this country, politics runs Big Lie, the one about the SCLM is newsrooms. The center stake, the based on strategic calculation: callso-called neutral center, has been ing the media liberal works,” said moved right for more than three Rick Perlstein, Columbia Journalism decades; anything deemed left of Review. center or liberal when I was cutting The relatives of those 13 Salvamy teeth as a reporter, today those strictures and media stripes are pretty dorans left to perish 31 years ago and those of thousands more who’ve conservative, almost ultra-reactiondied in that Arizona desert have their ary. doubts about the SCLM. Fast-forward to post-9/11 Press

Geoff Lang | The Communicator

“It’s hard to believe that in the greatest democracy in the world, we need legislation to prevent the government from writing and paying for the news.” -John Kerry American senator

“Media is a word that has come to mean bad journalism.” -Grahm Greene English novelist, playwright and journalist

“Newspapers, television networks, and magazines have sometimes been outrageously abusive, untruthful, arrogant, and hypocritical. But it hardly follows that elimination of a strong and independent press is the way to eliminate abusiveness . . .”

-Potter Stewart American judge

“We are so cleverly manipulated and influenced by the media and establishments on both the right and left, that the truth has become hopelessly lost in semantics.”

-Jules Carlysle Canadian author

Did You Know?: General Electric owns the television networks NBC and Telemundo, Universal Pictures, as well as the cable

networks MSNBC, Bravo and the Sy Fy Channel. Source: freepress.net

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011 The Communicator, a student-run publication, provides students an opportunity to connect with their campus and enrich their time at SFCC. We hope to maintain a forum in which students are able to voice diverse opinions on campus-related issues. The Communicator also aims to inform students about topics relevant to their education.

Editor-in-Chief Lindsey Treffry Managing Editor Kaitlin Allen Web Editor Wendy Gaskill News Editor Lauren Miller Focus Editor Ashley Hiruko Flavors Editor Clarissa Stoddard Bytes Editor Clarissa Stoddard

Perspectives Editor Joseph Engle Art Director Deby Dixon Graphics Geoff Lang Copydesk Chief Kirk Bayman Marketing Sarah Radmer Advertising Sarah Radmer Adviser Jason Nix Staff members can be reached via email with the following format: sfcc.firstname. lastname@gmail.com

Please Note The Communicator is an open forum for student coverage and opinion that is entirely student edited and produced, with absolutely no prior review from the faculty or administrators of Spokane Falls Community College. The content in this publication is the responsibility of the student staff of The Communicator, and as such do not necessarily reflect the view of Spokane Falls Community College administrators, faculty, or the student body. Individual student contributions to the opinion page or any other section of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or the student staff of The Communicator.

The first copy of an issue is free, additional copies are 50 cents.

The Communicator

Fair and balanced claim hypocritical People need to realize that both left-wing and rightwing bias exists in the news and neither are reliable

he mainstream news media have a liberal bias. According to a study by the Pew Research Center (PRC), 79 percent Kaitlin of conservative ReAllen publicans believe this. As someone who is fairly conservative going into journalism, I have heard time and time again from my friends and family that I should be careful “because the media are all a bunch of liberals.” They complain about liberal bias in the media and proclaim vehemently that all they want is fair and balanced news coverage with no bias.

Culture Editor Tucker Clarry Sidelines Editor Jen Greene

Perspectives

So they watch Fox News. So do 40 Fox had a news story headlined percent of Republicans, according to “Students Punished for Handing Out Candy Canes.” The story purported that same study by PRC. that the students of Battlefield High For conservatives to rant and rave School in Manassas, Va. were about media bias, yet rely on one of the most biased jokes of a news net- punished for attempting to spread holiday cheer. work is a gross hypocrisy. Fox is one “They of worst offenders call themselves in the news media “For conservatives to rant the “Christmas for misreporting and rave about media Sweater Club” and twisting facts. because they During the Jan. bias, yet rely on one of wear the craziest 3 edition of Fox & the most biased jokes of ones they can Friends, the hosts a news network is gross find,” reporter brought on Fox hypocrisy.” Peggy Fox said News contributor in the video. Dana Perino to -Kaitlin Allen “But they also discuss the Energy sing Christmas songs at school and and Independence Security Act try their best to spread Christmas (EISA) and the “ban of incandescent cheer. bulbs” that the bill created. When in fact, the word “ban” isn’t “But now all 10 of them are in in the bill at all. According to Secion trouble because of what they did at their school, Battlefield High 321, the bill “prescribe[s] energy efficiency standards for general service School.” The report failed to include anyincandescent lamps, rough service lamps, and other designated lamps.” thing from the high-school officials. According to an article by NBC, Under the section entitled “The “the treat-sharing degenerated into a War On Christmas” on Fox Nation,

food fight. As a result, each of the 10 candy cane sharers was given two hours of detention.” “This is not a ‘bah humbug’ kind of thing. Students created a mess,” said Ken Blackstone, a spokesman for Prince William County schools, in a statement. By merely not including certain facts or misreporting the ones they do have, Fox News continues to be an unreliable source of news. But not for Republicans, apparently. According to PRC, Republicans say they trust only a few news sources; 76 percent express that view currently and 41 percent of Republicans believe all or most of Fox News’ coverage. That is not to say that there is no liberal bias in the media. I am saying that there is bias on both sides and both conservatives and liberals need to be sure they aren’t making themselves into fools for claiming to only get news from reliable sources, when in fact the main source of news for 40 percent of Republicans is...well...a joke.

Letter from the Editor: Looking forward to new year; bright future

t’s a new year and a new chance for The Communicator to change and open up to new ideas. As Editor-inChief, I hope to Lindsey open communicaTreffry tion between faculty, students and clubs throughout the campus and assist them in voicing their opinion. This can be done through our publication and lettersto-the-editor, along with Facebook or Twitter posts. If you have a story

idea, we want to hear it. If you are frustrated with an article, we want to know about it. Lack of communication only keeps our publication from further improvement. We have made mistakes in the past and I hope to avoid those altogether in the future. I want our writers to be particular about the facts and information that populate their stories. Writers are now required to include all contact information for every source, including how the source was contacted, so we can be accountable for every quote and fact. We also have a copy editor

Letter to the Editor

s members, and co-founders of the cheer squad at SFCC, we feel disappointed with the article “Cheer Club approved in student senate meeting”. To begin, the Captain (President), Candice McKinley and Co-Captain (Vice President), Jocelyn Pyper were not actively mentioned in the publication. The process to create a club is much more complex than described. As the constitution and rules of ASG point out, there are many steps to follow in creating a club. This process is a lot of hard work and it is very time consuming. We must point out that on the day of creating the constitution of our club, Candice McKinley, Becca DeLong, Majdah Abd El Rahman, Jocelyn Pyper, Fernanda Valencia and Sericca Morton were all who were present.` At both the Senate Meeting and the Activities Board Meeting, Candice presented the purpose of our club, the constitution, budget funds, and request to the members of the board. The creation of the budget was mainly directed by Pyper, who is also A.S. Treasurer. McKinley has been the one devoting unreal amounts of time to this club, her passion, cheer leading. We believe the captain of our team deserves more recognition other than “the girl they contacted of student government.” Not only has she founded this club, prepared calendars, communicated with girls about meetings and other information, she is also coaching until the club gets an advisor. Basically, this club is in existence due to her efforts. From Fernanda Valencia (member) & Jocelyn Pyper (cocaptain)

position on staff to check spelling mistakes, confirm sources and check facts throughout our paper. After our first issue comes out, interviewees will be receiving interview follow-up sheets to get feedback about our writers’ interview techniques and professionalism. This is a chance for faculty, students and CCS members to let us know what can be improved and what we’re doing right. I’m also happy to announce that The Communicator has moved into Building 19 (the Graphic Design building). Through our new space

I hope to be more involved with graphic design, photography, and audio students, so that we can learn from them and they can learn from us. I want our new space to be a place of learning and sharing, much like a lab, but also a warm place to congregate. I’m excited for the coming year and I hope to hear and learn from all of you. If you would like to share any ideas, thoughts, or concerns please email me at comeic@spokanefalls.edu; I would love to hear from you.

Po l l R e s u l t s

How are the news media biased?

A) Too liberal - 8.7% B) Too conservative - 0% C) Caters to corporate interest - 8.7% D) Panders to government interest - 4.35% E) All of the above - 47.83% F) None of the above - 30.43% Poll results from The Communicator Online are unscientific and current as of Jan. 26.

Next Issue’s Poll

Is it ethical for a buisness to bury

important details in the fine print?

A) Yes B) No C) Sometimes Visit us at spokanefalls.edu/communciator to vote on this poll.

For more Perspectives content visit spokanefalls.edu/communicator/sections/perspectives/perspectives.html

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011

Culture

Tucker Clarry | Editor

things to do for less than 21 dollars when you are under 21 The Empyrean, a local all-ages music and coffee shop, recently closed. But there are still plenty of venues for a night outside of your friend’s basement.

Tucker Clarry

The Communicator

Arts and Crafts

Spokane may not have the size of art exhibition as metropolitan cities, but it can offer free exhibits the first week of the month as well as some craft classes or studios to use. Art Walk (First Friday) | Downtown Spokane (Galleries) The MAC | 2316 West 1st Ave. (Galleries) (Tours) Polka Dot Pottery | River Park Square (Lessons) (Studio) Color-me Mine | 710 West Main Ave. (Studio) Spokane Art Supply classes | 1303 N. Monroe St. (Lessons)

Club and Dance

Learn how to dance or just straight up meet people at dancing lessons or all ages clubs. We know you’re lonely.

Fun and Games

Simply Dance| 820 West Sprague Ave. (Lessons) Spokane Swing Dancing Club| 25 West 3rd St. (Lessons) T.A.S.T.Y. Tuesdays | 515 West Sprague Ave. (Club)

Spokane, because of its four seasons, can offer both indoor and outdoor activities. You can play put-put, go bowling, bounce on a trampoline, climb, hike or go ice skating.

Entertainment and music

Spokane has a subtle yet thriving performing arts program, producing comedians such as Daniel Cummins and musicians like Hockey, James Pants and The Globes. All of these listed venues offer events no more than $12 and are available every weekend. A Club | 416 West Sprague Ave. (Music) Blue Door Theater | 815 West Garland Ave. (Comedy) Fox Theater | 1001 West Sprague Ave. (Comedy) (Lectures) (Music) Garland Theater | 924 West Garland Ave. (Film) Knitting Factory | 919 West Sprague Ave. (Comedy) (Music) Magic Lantern | 25 West Main Ave. # 150 (Film)

Wonderland |10515 North Division St. (Arcade Games) (Batting Cages) (Put-Put Golf) Lilac Lanes | 1112 East Magnesium Road (Bowling) Laser Quest | 202 West 2nd Ave. (Laser Tag) Jump Sky High | 1322 E Front Ave., Spokane (Trampolines) Wild Walls | 202 West 2nd Ave. (Climbing Walls) REI workshops | 1125 North Monroe St. (Classes) (Lectures) River Front Park | 507 North Howard St. (Arcade Games) (Ice Skating) (IMAX) (Put-Put Golf)

Next arts exhibit to showcase Brazilianborn artist Kirk Bayman

The Communicator The SFCC Fine Arts Gallery will host an exhibition of drawings, paintings and other works by San Francisco artist Silvia Poloto. Brazilian-born Poloto uses painting, sculpture, photography and video in her work. “I do not strive to portray the obvious,” said Poloto in her Absolute Arts online profile. “Instead, I push the viewer to rely on [their own] intuition. “I challenge the viewer to translate my visual language from a subjective position.”

The SFCC Speech and Debate Team had a debate regarding legislation that would allow the recreational and medical use of marijuana on Tuesday in the Music Auditorium. Whitworth’s speech students played the role of the opposition in this year’s first installment of The Great Debates.

Nicole Denman | The Communicator

For the full version of this story, visit our website at

spokanefalls.edu/communicator

Did You Know?: The Garland Theater opened in 1945. Source: garlandtheater.com

According to her profile at Butters Gallery website, Poloto’s work can be found in more than 50 institutional and corporate collections in the United States and over 800 collections across the globe. Poloto’s exhibit will be in the gallery from Feb. 10 to March 12. Poloto will discuss her work on Wednesday, Feb. 23 in Building 24, room 110 at 11:30 a.m.

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011

Culture

The Communicator

Craft classes in the Art Coop

Lou Carver teaches wacky art classes ranging from felting, jewelry, and mosiac works, all taught in an old chicken coop Lindsey Treffry

The Communicator The Art Coop is a warm space with art spilling from the shelves, and a cloud-painted ceiling. A wall is covered with old board games, and a kiln and glass-cutter sit across the room. Once a chicken coop in the Downriver district, the Coop started as a Washington State farm “testing ground” in the 1930s and his since evolved into a home for wacky art classes. SFCC graduate, Lou Carver is the owner of The Art Coop. With the help of friends, Carver spent a year and a half renovating the chicken coop.They lead visitors from the front of a brick house into a welcoming backyard by building a false wall that was once made of chicken wire, adding insulation, electricity, and a wooden pathway. Her cat and beagle welcome you into her yard and a fake rooster perches in the rafters of the Coop. Carver received her A.A.S. in Visual Media TechnolBritney Locati | The Communicator ogy, which involved photography, hand-lettering, and SFCC Alumna Lou Carver skims through a design magazine where her shop, The Art Coop was featured. printing press work. According to Carver, this multimedia major didn’t mean she was necessarily profiThe Art Coop they fuse together to make a single piece. These form cient in one art form, but was able to enjoy “fine” art. a dichroic piece that according to Carver come out in The Art Coop was able to support her eclectic fine art Address 4225 N. G Street unpredictable colors. habits, but also gave her the ability to share. Contact 509.327.3726 She offers multiple classes a “If you don’t share what you learn, “[The Art Coop] is a week, from jewelry, to mosaic the knowledge dies,” Carver said. Info January and February classes can now be work, hats, pins, felting, and shrine The Art Coop has compartments of shabby, chic place to just seen online at theartcoop.net boxes. Prices per class usually charms, glass, metal, and miscellaRemaining January classes: have fun.” range from $25 to $40; all materials neous pieces that have been colFriday 28 6-8 p.m. $30 Wool Felting -Lou Carver are provided and no experience is lected by Carver over the years. Most Sunday 30 1-3 p.m. $35 Fused Glass Hearts Owner of The Art Coop needed. Unless the Coop is featurof these pieces are for reuse, and Pendants ing a fused-glass class, students can instead of recycling these pieces, Other Facts Apart from the Coop, Carver usually take projects home the same day. Carver likes to call this process “upcycling,” convertteaches one hour “Spokane Falls Living History” Although she advertises her Coop as art classes for ing waste into new, better art products. presentations, where she shares photographs “chicks,” according to Carver, a rooster is a chick too According to Carver, the most popular craft projof Spokane from 1880 to 1910, along with board and men return to her classes often. ects between class-takers is fused-glass. According games, clothing of the era, music players, and “[The Art Coop] is a shabby, chic place to just have to fusedglass.org, to make fused glass you take two common household items. fun,” Carver said. “You don’t have to be an artist.” or more pieces of glass and heat them in a kiln until

Spinferno Check out our latest multimedia piece at spokanefalls. edu/communicator on local performing artists, the Visual Vortex Spin Collective; a troupe performing fire poi, with hoola hoops and nunchucks.

Deby Dixon | The Communicator

A showing that started on Jan. 6 in the Fine Arts building at SFCC, “Sonic Medicine” by artist Scott Kolbo is an exhibit comprising drawings, prints and video productions. Kolbo is a local artist and art professor at Whitworth University who has exhibits and galleries all over the country. Here at SFCC, there are a total of 11 exhibits on display, ranging from larger video projections to smaller prints. Kolbo himself was born in Othello but grew up in Boise, Idaho. After attending college in the Seattle area, the artist moved back to Boise to study art at Boise State University. -BJ Gervais

For Culture content visit spokanefalls.edu/communicator/sections/culture/culture.html.

Kaitlin Allen | The Communicator

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011

Focus Flying free

Ashley Hiruko | Editor

A reccuring travel feature by staff photographer Deby Dixon. In this issue, she highlights the hundreds of eagles that congregate on Lake Coeur d’ Alene for Kokanee spawning season. Deby Dixon

The Communicator

Early on a frosty winter morning a dozen or more American Bald Eagles soar over Lake Coeur d’Alene. Eyes focus on the sky, fingers point and a photographer shouts “Incoming,” just as landing gear comes out and the country’s symbol of strength and freedom dives, dances on water, stabs a fish with its talons and lifts off. “...Thus the eagle, full of the boundless spirit of freedom, living above the valleys, strong and powerful in his might, has become the national emblem of a country that offers freedom in word and thought and an opportunity for a full and free expansion into the boundless space of the future,” Maude M. Grant wrote. Shutters click and children echo each other, “Eagle, eagle...” Suddenly a boy yells, “Eagle swiped a fish. Stop! He’s swiping, he’s gonna swipe a fish.” A scenic drive along the lake ends just seven-and-a-half miles from Coeur d’Alene at Higgins Point, which is a temporary home to eagles that have stopped to feast on hundreds of thousands of dying Kokanee, fresh water salmon that have spawned in the rocks along the shore. When the waters freeze in Canada, usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas, anywhere from 50, to this year’s record high of 254, eagles land in the tall ponderosa pines growing in the steep mountains and along the craggy shores of the lake. Their keen eyes, three to four times better than human sight,

spot the silvery fish on the surface, snow flies off the pine needles and a raptor gracefully swoops in on its prey. Once in its talons and in midair, the bird reaches back and tears the head from the body of its next meal before selecting a branch on which to dine. With the eagles come thousands of visitors to the east end of the lake. Rain, snow, bitter cold or sunshine, people stand along the shore, sit in their vehicles or walk the path to an eagle viewing area where, if they are lucky, a bird will be sitting close by in a tall pine or on a snag, allowing a view that many never get a chance to see in the wild. More than 500,000 people in the Inland Empire have access to the eagles and the Bureau of Land Management, an agency that monitors the birds, recorded 52,000 visitors from 1994 to 2007. “I grew up on the reservation and so I feel an emotional bond with them,” said Angelina Diehl who has gone to Higgins Point about five times each year for the past three. Photographers, carrying tripods, pro cameras and big lenses say they look forward to yet another chance to capture the bird’s essence with their lens. “I like being out here,” said photographer Ken Helal, a local obstetrician, “There is a majestic feeling of seeing these birds in action. “They teach me independence and perseverance in catching the fish and withstanding the elements.” Many watch the birds with naked eyes or binoculars, while others take photos with cell phones and point-and-shoot cameras. Even in bitter cold there are smiles amongst those who have braved the elements for the breathtaking view of an eagle in flight.

Meet the Eagles Eagle season: Late November to early February with peak time around Christmas Where: The east end of Lake Coeur d’Alene at Higgins Point, Wolf Lodge Bay and Beauty Bay What to bring: Warm clothing, binoculars and/or cameras, friends and family. Best time to arrive: Early morning or late afternoon

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Where do they go from here: Klamath Falls, or Utah and Southern Idaho Keep in Mind : • Respect the birds by being quiet and not getting too close. • Children should not be allowed to run near the birds or to throw rocks at them. • Park safely in a parking lot or off of the road. Do not stop in the road and block traffic. • Dogs must be kept on a leash and should not disturb the eagles by barking and running free.

Did You Know?: A Bald Eagle remains faithful to its mate until death. Source: Eagles.org

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011

Focus

The Communicator

Story of

Survival

Student’s struggle with cancer presents obstacles, changes perspective Ashley Hiruko

The Communicator For Ken Korrell, a health and fitness student, school is the least of his worries. Korrell, 37, was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2007 before starting school at SFCC. According to the National Cancer Institute, Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. 34,500 is the estimated number of new cancer cases in 2010 in Washington according to the American Cancer Society. “I knew I had cancer; I had a gut feeling,” Korrell said. “I told my doctor, but he said I probably didn’t have it and he put me on antibiotics.” According to Korrell, it wasn’t until after further testing that the cancer was discovered. “I never had any other symptoms besides pain and stiffness in my neck and swollen lymph nodes,” Korrell said. Korrell put off attending SFCC until the fall of 2008 due to his diagnosis. According to Ben Webinger, counselor and Director of Disability Support Services, there are accommodations available to students who have had some sort of serious health issue. The DSS office determines what inferences have been created as a result of the health issue and then the DSS might recommend accommodations, such as extended time to take a test, flexibility in attendance, and make-up opportunities for assignments and tests. David Mariner, a nuclear medicine technologist, is one person who administers a positron emission to-

mography (PET) scan, and a computed tomography (CT) scan, on Korrell every six months. A PET scan shows active cancer cells within the body and a CT scan uses x-ray equipment to produce an image of the inside of the body. During these tests Korrell is injected with radioactive glucose that is then monitored with a CT scan. For three to four hours Korrell is considered “radioactive” and can potentially cause harm to pregnant women and small children. “We limit our exposure to radiation,” Mariner said. “ I wear safety devices that notify me if I’m being overly exposed to radiation.” According to Mariner he has seen patients of all ages that were suffering from cancer. “The oldest patent I’ve tested was around 90,” Mariner said. “The youngest was an eight-year-old.” According to Mariner, emotional care is important when treating his patients. “I think you’re limiting the care you provide if you emotionally detach yourself from the patient,” Mariner said. “The hardest part of doing this job is that the nicest people seem to have the worst diagnosis.” Korrell is now in his third year of remission, meaning there was no active growth in his cancer cells since his last treatment. After five years of remission you are considered cured from that cancer. “You can never be the same after someone tells you those words ‘you have cancer’,” Korrell said. “This has given me the chance to talk in front of others about it and to be able to tell others you can pull through and move forward. “No matter how bad you think life is, someone has it even harder.”

Club Day

Deby Dixon | The Communicator

David Mariner, nuclear medicine technologist, prepares to inject Ken Korrell, SFCC student, with radioactive glucose.

Disability Support Services Where: Building 17, Room 201 Telephone: 509.533.4166 Fax: 509.533.3547 Hours Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

COLLEGE DAZE FEB 5-6 • $35 Lift Tickets • Discount Lodging In Town • Food & Beverage Deals All deals valid with current College ID

Must book online at schweitzer.com or by phone with the code “DAZE”

Deby Dixon | The Communicator

Teacher’s assistant Kanoko Yamaguchi, along with Japanese club members, stand next to their culture display. They talked with students to recruit for their club on Jan. 12 during the Club Day event that was held in the SUB lounges. All clubs are offered a table to promote their club activities and to attain new members.

$3 Pizza Slices at Sam’s Alley $2.25 Hamm’s Draft in Taps $2.75 wells in Taps

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877.487.4643

Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2011