Cops look into possible grow-op

LAST
ISSUE OF THE QUARTER
FRIDAY
ISSUE
DECEMBER 8, 2006
ISSUE 19, VOLUME 139
W E S T E R N
IN THE FRONT
A&E
W A S H I N G T O N
U N I V E R S I T Y
Cops look into possible grow-op
UP finds drugs in
Buchanan Towers
while responding
to fire alarm
Kamryn Masters
PAGE
10
Behind the scenes
of ASP Pop
OPINION
Photo feature on
RateMyProfessor.com
not creepy
PAGE
18
SPORTS
B-ball coach Brad
Jackson close to
all-time win record
PAGE
13
Weather
Friday
490/360
Saturday
460/380
Sunday
University
Police
are
investigating Buchanan Towers
resident Cameron Watson on
suspicion of intent to grow
psychedelic
mushrooms.
However, charges have yet to
be filed against the 18-year-old
from Tenino, Wash.
His suitemate, freshman
Alexander Smalldon V, 19, of
Portland, Ore. was cited on
suspicion of intent to obstruct
police officers trying to search
their dorm room in the early
hours of Nov. 22, one day
before the Thanksgiving break.
Charges against Smalldon were
later dropped.
“[Watson] has not been
formally charged as of this
date,” said Sgt. David Garcia of
the UP. “The reason is we sent
the impounded matter to a lab
for testing and we are waiting
for the results before moving
on.”
Michael Sledge, judicial
officer for Residence Life, said
Thursday that residents found
producing or selling drugs
are evicted from university
residences.
Watson, a freshman who is
still living in his dorm room and
has not been told whether he
will be evicted, said he wonders
when a decision will be made.
“I’ve been in limbo for two
weeks now,” Watson said
Wednesday night.
Two weeks earlier on Nov.
22 at 3:16 a.m., Cpl. Edwin
Malpica and Officer Chris Davis
responded to a smoke alarm in
Watson’s side of the sixth floor
suite.
All the fire alarms on
campus are connected to central
alarms at the Public Safety
Building and at the Bellingham
photo by Kim Higginbotham THE WESTERN FRONT
Freshman Cameron Watson has The Western Front Cops Box that lists their Nov. 22, 3:16 a.m. visit from
University Police hanging on the refrigerator in their Buchanan Towers suite. It reads: “Police responded to
a smoke alarm in Buchanan Towers and found suspected drugs and drug manufacturing materials.”
Fire dispatch.
“Entering a room that
had a fire alarm activation
is considered an exigent
circumstance
and
is
an
exception to a search warrant
requirement,” Garcia said.
According to a UP crime
report obtained after The
Western Front submitted a
public
disclosure
request
for police records, Malpica
knocked on the door to the
common living room of Watson
THE WESTERN FRONT
0
INDEX
A&E .........................................8
On the Menu......................... 11
Upcoming ............................. 11
Sports .................................... 13
Sports Columnist ................... 13
Hawks Watch ........................ 15
Opinions ............................... 18
Frontline ................................ 18
Viking Voices ........................ 19
Columnist .............................. 20
and Smalldon’s suite for several
minutes
while
identifying
himself as a UP officer. Watson
told Western Front reporters he
and Smalldon were in their beds
when police knocked at the
door.
The
officers
checked
the door handle, found it
unlocked, and opened the
door but did not enter the
room
without
permission,
according to the report.
Malpica obtained permission
from Smalldon to enter the
common living room and asked
if anyone else was in the suite.
Both Watson’s and Smalldon’s
roommates were gone at the
time.
Malpica
knocked
on
Watson’s door several times
before
Watson
answered.
According to the police report,
the officers noticed a smoky
haze in Watson’s room and
see INVESTIGATION page 6 u
Don’t have a cold heart: keep your pet warm
Kamryn Masters
48 /37
0
THE WESTERN FRONT
Now that the wet, frigid months are
upon Western, many minds wander to
cozy clothes, hot chocolate and fireplaces.
Unfortunately, many Western students
do not take their pets into consideration
when dreaming of such warm, fuzzy
surroundings.
During the winter, shorthaired animals
are extremely vulnerable to the elements
and ideally should be kept inside, said Penny
Cistaro, executive director of the Whatcom
Humane Society (WHS).
The WHS is giving a limited number
of free doghouses to pets
of low-income residents
on a first-come, firstserved basis.
According to the
WHS, animals kept
outside also need more food
than usual due to the fact
that keeping warm during
the cold weather depletes
their energy much quicker
than during the summer.
Cistaro said if pets must
westernfrontonline.com
be left outside they need adequate living
conditions. The basics of a good pet
home include being elevated four
to six inches off the ground, a
small side entrance with a flap
opening and a cozy living space
with a dry interior.
Other dangers to pets during
the winter include warm engines that
entice cats and other small wildlife to
crawl up under the hoods of vehicles.
Banging on the hood will usually scare
Mark Malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
see PETS page 6 u
The Western Front
WesternFrontOnline.com
F R I D AY
December 8, 2006
PAGE
2
Cops Box
Campus Police
» Dec. 3, 11:45 p.m.: Police
responded to Emergency Phone
activation in south campus. Upon
arrival, area was secure with no
one in the surrounding area.
» Dec. 3, 2:03 a.m.: Police
responded to a report of suspected
underage drinking in Ridgeway
Beta. Students were gone upon
officer arrival.
» Dec. 4, 12:04 a.m.: Police
responded to multiple smoke
alarms in Parks Hall. Police found
no smoke, but found water had
leaked onto the control panel,
causing the alarms to go off. A
control tech was notified.
» Dec. 4, 10:08 p.m.: Police
responded to a report of burglary
in the Fairhaven residence halls.
There are no suspects at this time.
photos by Mark Malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
Western junior and aspiring art major Mark Carpenter sketches a nearby tree in Red Square on a clear afternoon Dec. 7.
>>News Briefs<<
New zoning restricts development
in York neighborhood
The Bellingham City Council recently
changed zoning for the York neighborhood,
the area just north of downtown. The new
zoning restricts the development of new
apartments and condominiums in much
of the area but allows for construction of
traditional houses. Members of the local
rental association spoke in opposition to it,
arguing the new regulations go against infill
strategies, which are in place and intend to
increase housing in the downtown area.
Western forum to discuss waterfront
development plans
Doug Graham, Western’s Waterfront
Development Committee consultant, will
provide an update regarding planning and
work for summer and fall, as well as the
next steps of the waterfront development
process at the Western-sponsored forum at
4 p.m. Dec. 12 in Science Mathematics and
Technology Education building room 120.
The forum was originally scheduled for
Nov. 28 but inclement weather postponed the
event.
University President Karen W. Morse
appointed the committee in spring of 2004
to evaluate Western’s potential involvement
in the redevelopment process of the former
Georgia-Pacific waterfront property.
Residential in-line parking
now allowed
The Bellingham City Council approved
the construction of two-car garages made to
Thank you for reading
The Front this quarter.
- Fall ‘06 Western Front staff
WesternFrontOnline.com
Western Washington University
Communications Building 251
Bellingham, WA 98225
[email protected]
Editor-in-chief: Lance Henderson
Managing editor: Ryan Wynne
News editors: Isaac Bonnell
Nicole Lanphear
Head copy/online editor: Shawna Walls
Copy editors: Julia Waggoner
Katie Raynor
Features editor: Kacie McKinney
Sports editor: Caleb Breakey
Arts & Entertainment editor: Jessica Harbert
Opinion editor: Kristi Pihl
Photo editor:
Mark Malijan
Matt Gagne
Art director:
Faculty adviser: Carolyn Nielsen
The Western Front is published twice weekly in the fall, winter, and spring quarters and
once a week in the summer session. The Western Front is the official newspaper of Western
Washington University, published by the Student Publications Council and is mainly
supported by advertising. Opinions and stories in the newspaper have no connection with
advertising. News content is determined by student editors. Staff reporters are enrolled in
a course in the department of journalism, but any student enrolled at Western may offer
stories to the editors. Advertising inquiries should be directed to the business office in CF
230 or by phone at 650-3161. Members of the Western community are entitled to a single
free copy of each issue of The Western Front.
park one car behind the other, instead of the
common side-by-side layout. City Planner
Chris Koch said advantages of this type of
arrangement include decreased housing costs,
narrower driveways intersecting sidewalks
and reduced environmental impact. Side-byside garages are still allowed.
Menorah lighting in Fairhaven
Fairhaven’s Village Green will hold a
Chanukah Menorah lighting. The 6-foot
Menorah will be erected at 5:30 p.m. on
Dec. 20. Interim Mayor Tim Douglas will
participate in the event. A Chanukah party in
the Fairhaven Library will follow the lighting
ceremony, which will include a communitywide dreidel game and refreshments.
Compiled by Lauren Ross
» Dec. 5, 1:25 a.m.: Police assisted
the Bellingham Police Department
with apprehending an armed
robbery suspect.
Bellingham Police
» Dec. 3, 12:13 a.m.: Officers
responded to a loud party
complaint on the 1700 block of
Maple Street.
» Dec. 3, 12:50 a.m.: Officers
arrested a 26-year-old man on
suspicion of driving under the
influence on the 1400 block of
State Street.
» Dec. 4, 12:37 a.m.: Officers
arrested and booked a 20-year-old
woman on suspicion of possession
of a controlled substance
following a traffic stop on the
2000 block of Superior Street.
» Dec. 4, 9:56 p.m.: Officers
arrested an 18-year-old man on
suspicion of disorderly conduct in
the 110 block of Woodstock Way.
Compiled by Lauren Ross
WesternFrontOnline.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
|
|
Friday, December 8, 2006
NEWS
The Western Front
The quarter in review...
Above and below photos by Mark Malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
(Top left) On Nov. 16, more than 200 people
participated in a “Die-In” in Red Square,
protesting the war in Iraq. (Top right) A
Western student was rescued from Mount
Baker on Oct. 21. (Bottom right) Viking senior
James Monrean and a Central Washington
University player in the Battle in Seattle on
Oct. 21. (Bottom left) More than 15 inches of
snow blanketed the campus the week of Nov.
26, and shut down the campus for two days.
below photo by Jared Yoakum
above photo courtesy of Bradford Cabot
NEWS
WesternFrontOnline.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
|
Supper
in the snow
Campus dining halls continued
serving meals during the snow
storm despite being understaffed
Kamryn Masters
the western front
During the two consecutive
snow days in the week of Nov.
26, the entire campus shut
down, save for the residence
and dining halls. Despite being
snowed in, understaffed and
sleep deprived, the on-campus
dining hall staff and the student
managers found a way to keep
the dining halls running.
“Everything
was
functioning except we didn’t
have much staff,” said Western
senior Casey Hall, one of the
dining hall student managers.
Despite the lack of
employees, things still managed
to run smoothly at the Viking
Commons dining hall with the
exception of one thing, said
sophomore Carol Cordray. “The
only thing I noticed was that
they didn’t have was the Sunday
sundae bar, but other than that
everything seemed to be up and
running.”
Sunday wasn’t too busy
because students were stuck in
the snow, Hall said.
All the student managers
were required to be back at the
Viking Commons dining hall by
1 p.m. to clean up Thanksgiving
decorations and set up for
dinner later that night.
Hall said typically there
are only three full-time staff
members on weekends at the
Viking Commons dining hall so
they usually depend heavily on
student workers.
Hall
said
only
approximately 10 of the 20
employees scheduled to work
the dinner shift on Sunday
showed up. To make up for
absent workers the student
managers stayed late and filled
in.
“We called in all the student
workers that worked on Sunday
night and [asked] them to come
back because we didn’t have
school on Monday,” Hall said.
photo by Mark Malijan the western front
Freshman Emily Nelson serves up a hot plate of lasagna for dinner at the Viking Commons on Dec. 7.
Nelson showed up for work after the snowstorm despite the 15 inches of snow.
Things got a little busier
Monday when even fewer
employees showed up. “Monday
morning we had about three
student workers from 7 a.m. to
11 a.m.,” Hall said.
One of those Monday
morning workers, sophomore
Russell Rigby, did not arrive on
campus until around 12:30 a.m.
the night before, after driving
nearly 12 hours from Vancouver,
Wash. to Bellingham.
“Not [a work day] I want to
remember,” Rigby said. Luckily
for Rigby, the Viking Commons
dining hall was as empty as it
has ever been.
“We opened at 7:15 a.m.
and the first person got here at
about 8:45 a.m.,” Rigby said.
Rigby said many of the full
time staff did not return until
Wednesday, forcing the student
managers and student workers
to cover more shifts than
normal. Hall said he worked for
eight hours on Nov. 26 and 12
hours on Nov. 27.
Despite
the
weather
conditions that forced so many
local businesses to close, the
dining halls remained open and
true to their golden rule: “All
dining halls are required to be
open if there are students on
campus,” Hall said.
6|
NEWS
Friday, December 8, 2006
Investigation forwarded to Whatcom
County Prosecutor’s Office for review
u INVESTIGATION from 1
Malpica requested to enter.
The source of this smoke was
blacked out of the police report.
Watson cooperated and Malpica
was allowed to search his room.
Upon questioning, Watson
informed the officers that he had
a few bongs as well as a personal
supply
of
marijuana. The
amount of marijuana found is
unknown because University
Police blacked out significant
portions of the incident report
before turning over the public
document to The Western Front.
Police refused several requests
to provide further information.
Watson provided details
of the event in a Wednesday
interview with Western Front
reporters. Smalldon refused to
comment on the record.
Watson
said
Malpica
found and confiscated the
aforementioned items as well
as a marijuana grinder and
container.
“I was in a very desperate
situation at that point,” Watson
said.
According to the UP crime
report, Malpica discovered a
large blue plastic tote under
the bed. Watson said the crate
contained a syringe, spores
and soil that are all elements
necessary to grow psychedelic
mushrooms.
“He found my crate with
the ingredients necessary to
make mushroom jars but they
hadn’t even been started yet,”
Watson said.
UP officers then decided
to forward the case to the
Whatcom County Prosecutor’s
Office for review and to send
the evidence to the police lab
for testing, Garcia said
The Whatcom County
Prosecutor’s Office had not
received the case as of Dec. 7.
According to the UP crime
report, after Malpica finished
searching
Watson’s
room,
Davis searched Smalldon’s
room. Smalldon denied having
anything illegal and consented
to the search.
After the search, officers
arrested, cited and released
Smalldon on suspicion of
obstructing a law enforcement
officer.
Smalldon went to court
The Western Front
on the matter on Dec. 1,
and pleaded guilty to the
obstruction charge, but the
judge dismissed the charge after
the state expressed no interest in
pursuing it, according to court
documents.
According to the Western
Washington University Drug
Policy, legal sanctions for drugs
on school property range from
fines to multi-year prison terms
to loss of financial aid. More
severe penalties are levied
against people convicted of
providing controlled substances
to minors and for repeat
offenses.
Malpica, who could not
address specifics of the case
but could speak on general
facts, said if investigating an
felony case, police cannot issue
ResLife Policies and Procedures
“The University maintains the right to have authorized
personnel enter any residence hall room or apartment
for the purpose of inspection, repair, health/safety of
residents or other official University business. If, while
in the room, University personnel discover policy
violations, appropriate conduct follow-up will occur.”
Page three of the police report obtained by the
Western Front had numerous parts redacted,
including the name and age of suspects and the
type of confiscated material. University Police claim
that parts were blacked out because they did not
want to jeopardize an ongoing investigation. By law,
the name and age of suspects and the confiscated
materials are not considered information that
would jeopardize an investigation, according to the
Student Press Law Center.
a citation for a misdeamnor
— a lesser crime — without
affecting the felony charge. The
accused could plead guilty to
the misdemeanor, thus resulting
in a dismissal of the felony
charge.
Watson
said
he
is
hopeful that he will get only
a misdemeanor charge for
possession of marijuana but
does not rule out a possible
charge for intent to grow
psychedelic mushrooms, which
carries the potential for a felony
charge.
Garcia said for charges
to be filed, police must prove
intent to grow.
Western Front reporter
Kim Higginbotham contributed
information used in this article.
Free dog houses
available from
Whatcom
Humane Society
u PETS from 1
them immensely.
“Usually, college students
have a full schedule at school
and a part time job,” Cistaro
said. “They don’t have a lot
of time to spend with the dog
so the dog ends up being what
we call a ‘juvenile delinquent.’
They are just wild — they don’t
have any training, and they don’t
have a lot of socialization.”
There are alternatives to
leaving the dog outside all day,
such as doggie daycare.
“Having your dog come to
doggie daycare is a wonderful
way for your well-socialized
dog to be exercised and have a
fun, exciting day,” said Angela
Lenz, part-owner and founder
of Tails-A-Wagging, a local
doggie day care center.
Before owning any pet,
forethought is key, Cistaro said.
“If college students are
willing to commit to the animal,
a cat can be very easy to take
care of,” Cistaro said. “But
you’re making a commitment
for 16 to 18 years. If you’re 19
to 21 years old now the animal
is going to be with you into your
late 30’s.”
Friday, December 8, 2006
WesternFrontOnline.com
Legal Environment
Intro to Language
$70.75
$46.50 *
Func. & Algebraic
Methods
Psychology
$54
$62
Western Associated Student’s Bookstore
Puts money back in your pocket
Buyback quantities are restricted to future need.
Holiday Store Hours
Dec 4-8 8am - 5pm
Dec 9 11am - 3pm
Dec 11-15 8am - 5pm
Dec 16 11am - 3pm
Dec 18 8am - 5pm
*
We apologize for the mistake that was published in the last issue of the Western Front where Intro to Language was listed at $77.25 this mistake has been corrected to the actual price of $46.50
|
The Western Front
WesternFrontOnline.com
F R I D AY
December 8, 2006
PAGE
8
Haute
holiday
shopping
‘Haute for the Holidays’ event
encourages buying locally
Lauren Ross
THE WESTERN FRONT
Holiday shopping conjures
images of trips to a crowded
mall where the air smells of
fast food and the lines are
unavoidable but “Haute for the
Holidays” encourages local
shopping not found at a typical
mall.
The group of local
business owners who created
Project B’ham is preparing
Bellingham for the gift-buying
season by organizing the twonight fashion event, “Haute for
The Holidays.” On Dec. 9 the
last of the two-night event, a
late-night shopping experience
in downtown and Fairhaven pair
up to encourage local holiday
shopping.
Shultzie Fay, owner of The
Paperdoll in Fairhaven, said
since Project B’ham was so
successful they wanted to have
another event with the same
purpose.
Project B’ham was an
event in October organized by
retail-store owners to unify
themselves and display what
is offered in Fairhaven and
downtown Bellingham. Their
intentions were to create a
cohesive shopping environment
that supports local commerce.
“We want to introduce
people to the amazing shops that
photo courtesy of James Taylor Photography
are here in town and show them
A model at the Project B’ham fashion show struts down the runway wearing shoes from Mi Shoes and
they can be fashion forward and
clothes from Passion Fly.
fabulous with the things you
gifts or really cool clothes,” Fay
you want and feel great about
11 p.m. for this exclusive event.
find here,” Fay said.
said. “In reality, if they look
it.”
Stretch Cadillac Escalade limos
Fay said it is important
at what’s right under their nose
Starr decided to have her
adorned with event logos and
to support the local economy
they can find it at
holiday sale before Christmas
filled with Christmas tunes
because that is how
“Buying locally these really great because she said nothing is will provide a shuttle service
local
businesses
stores.”
more frustrating than buying
for shoppers venturing between
maintain longevity.
allows you to
Danielle
something and having it marked
Fairhaven
and
downtown
The success of local
avoid the Wal- Starr,
owner
down five days after Christmas.
Bellingham.
stores depends on
Mart and the
of Four Starrs
Michelle Millar, owner
“There isn’t a lot of nightwhether people shop
Boutique
and
of
Mi
Shoes,
said
she
is
time
shopping because stores
there, Fay said.
Target-type
Beauty Bar, said
showcasing a variety of shoes.
close around 6 p.m.,” Fay said.
“Your
dollars
stores while
her theme for the
Millar said this event is perfect
“This will give people an extra
aren’t going right
event
is
holiday
for
emphasizing
what
can
be
three hours to shop around and
back
into
the
supporting your
glam. Starr said
found in the community without
leave the driving to us.”
community
when
community and a black dress going to department stores.
you buy from other
local people.” with rhinestone
“Buying locally allows
stores, but when you
- Michelle Millar,
e m b el l i s h m e nt
you to avoid the Wal-mart and
buy locally, they
owner of Mi Shoes will be one of
the Target-type stores while
are,” Fay said.
the hottest items
supporting your community and
She said during
featured.
local people,” Millar said.
Stores opening 8 p.m.
the holidays people feel they
“Everyone’s
perception
The late-night shopping
need to go to larger stores to
Dec. 9
is that in Bellingham there is
event focuses on what is
find what they’re looking for.
Shops in Fairhaven and
nowhere to wear these items to
available locally. Nearly 25
“A lot of people think they
downtown
but I think there is,” Starr said.
stores will open their doors at
need to go to the mall, Seattle
“I think you can wear whatever
8 p.m. and will stay open until
or Vancouver to find really cool
Haute for the
Holidays
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WesternFrontOnline.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
|9
to the music
Keeli Archer
of three.
“Getting along as friends
Sway will showcase its
and not musically or vice versa
jazz, rock, jam, fusion and
are two whole separate entities,”
electronica sound at 8 p.m. on
said lead guitarist Jesse Hunter.
Dec. 8 for the last show of the
“When we lost our bass player
quarter at the Underground
we stepped it up a bit —
Coffeehouse.
improved our gear selection and
Matt Hunter, Jesse Hunter
sounds for layering and stuff
and Omar Martinez make up
like that and continued on as a
the trio that is Sway, with Matt
trio.”
playing drums, Jesse on lead
Both Matt Hunter and Jesse
guitar and vocals and Omar
Hunter have compared their
on both keyboard and bass.
sound to bands such as Sound
Sway has been a part of the
Tribe and Sector 9.
Bellingham music scene since
Sway’s sound as a trio has
2002.
changed from what it was as a
The group was once a
quartet, Matt Hunter said.
quartet,
but
“Once it was
lost its fourth
just the three of
band member
us, we started
and bass player
having a good
8 p.m. Dec. 8
last
January
time again and
Underground
due to creative
that allowed us
Coffeehouse
differences,
to start coming
FREE
Jesse
Hunter
up with stuff that
said.
had a lot of soul
A f t e r
and a lot of good
searching for a replacement,
feeling behind it,” Matt Hunter
but not finding anyone to fill the
said.
spot, Sway continued as a group
The music now has become
THE WESTERN FRONT
Sway
photo courtesy of Sway
Sway band members drummer Matt Hunter (left), keyboardist and bassist Omar Martinez and vocalist
and lead guitarist Jesse Hunter, will play the Underground Coffeehouse’s last show of the quarter.
more harmonic and electronic
without a bass player, Jesse
Hunter said.
“Sway
is
different,”
said Mollie Foster, publicity
coordinator for the Underground
Coffeehouse. “The way the
band mixes elements of many
eclectic genres makes their
sound more distinct than any
other Bellingham band right
now.”
It was Foster’s idea to have
Sway play the upcoming show at
the Underground Coffeehouse,
she said. This show has been
planned for the past 3-4 months,
she said. The band used the
preparation time to begin to
practice as a trio and it gave
Martinez time to learn to play
bass sounds on the keyboard,
Foster said.
“The show on Friday is
free and all ages,” Foster said.
“People have no excuse to miss
this show.”
10 |
Friday, December 8, 2006
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Western Front
The brains
behind the bands
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WesternFrontOnline.com
Western’s jazz bands
showcase their skills
Friday, December 8, 2006
| 11
upcoming
Friday, Dec. 8
Sway / “Friday”
Underground Coffeehouse 8 p.m.
FREE
Crossfox, Project Mayhem, Invention
Fantasia Espresso & Tea 8 p.m.
All ages $4
The All Nighters, The Tru Tones, A Few to Break
The Old Foundry 8 p.m.
All ages $5
…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the
Dead, Celebration
The Nightlight Lounge 8 p.m.
21+ $17
Saturday, Dec. 9
Yambique
Firehouse Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m.
All ages $10
A Few Good Women
The Upfront Theater
$10 general admission, $8 w/ student ID
Devotchka, My Brightest Diamond
The Nightlight Lounge 8 p.m.
21+ $10
The DT’s, the Buttersprites, Black Sparks
Chiribin’s 10 p.m.
21+ $5
Monday, Dec. 11
Poetry Night
Fantasia Espresso & Tea 8 p.m.
FREE
Yes, Oh Yes, Hollis Brown, The Western States
Fantasia Espresso & Tea 8 p.m.
All ages $5
Tuesday, Dec. 12
Colin Spring
The Acoustic Tavern
21+ $3
photo by Kaleb Gubernick THE WESRTERN FRONT
photo by Mark Malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
Hunter Motto (front) and Victor Cuellar, Associated Student Productions Pop Music coordinators, goof around in the Viking Union but get
down to business when booking bands to perform on campus.
A look at the movers and shakers driving the campus music scene
Second row L-R: Aaron Wilson on bass trombone, Jason Cressey on trombone and Neal Bushaw on
trombone. Front row L-R: Jovon Miller on saxophone, Alex Wallace on saxophone, Andy Campbell on
saxophone during rehearsal for their performance on Friday.
Kaleb Gubernick
THE WESTERN FRONT
Taylor Scaggs
THE WESTERN FRONT
F
or music-loving Western
students, fall quarter has
been a godsend. Eight of the
11 weeks this quarter the Viking Union
Multipurpose Room was packed to the
brim with eager excited fans and an
energetic bill of big-name entertainers
to match. The men behind the mayhem
are none other than Associated Students
Productions Pop Music (ASP Pop)
Coordinators Hunter Motto and Victor
Cuellar, and they say campus hasn’t seen
anything yet.
“We aren’t satisfied,” Cuellar said.
“We’ve tasted blood, we’ve tasted soldout shows and we want more.”
On Jan. 22, ASP Pop will bring indie
rocker Matt Costa to the Viking Union
Multipurpose Room for the first show of
winter quarter. Motto and Cuellar also
said there are plans for a big Valentine’s
Day show, the KUGS radio station
Birthday Bash, and another hip-hop show
next quarter.
“Keep your eyes on the horizon,”
Cuellar said.
So far this quarter ASP Pop has
brought a musically diverse number
of regional, local, and national acts to
campus including: Ben Kweller, Blue
Scholars, The Blood Brothers, Racetrack,
Minus the Bear, The Faint, Ratatat and
Pretty Girls Make Graves. Each show
attracted Western students in masses
with the first two shows, Ben Kweller
and Blue Scholars, selling out the Viking
Union Multipurpose Room.
“If you would have presented this list
of bands to me last summer, I would have
said that would be an awesome year,”
Cuellar said.
At the beginning of the quarter
Motto and Cuellar went into their jobs as
coordinators with a common goal — go
big or go home, they said.
Brent Cole, editor of the local music
magazine “What’s Up!,” said few people
in the past have had the guts to do what
ASP Pop has done so far this year.
“It’s a tough job and you have to
really understand that to succeed, you
have to go for the biggest shows possible,”
Cole said.
The pair said they consulted with
Washington State University, the
University of Washington and other
universities to find out how they went
about the booking process. With what
they learned, any hesitation they had
with putting on big shows was squashed.
Cuellar had been in the ASP Pop
office volunteering for a year before he
applied for the coordinator position and
said he wanted to approach the position
unlike past coordinators had.
“I didn’t want to look back on this
year and say ‘damn, we should have done
that show,”’ Cuellar said. “I’m going to
treat this like it is my chance to actually
do something big for Western.”
The majority of shows on campus in
the past have been local showcases and
ASP Pop said they are trying to support
and fuel the local music scene.
“We want to add local or regional
bands, to pretty much every bill we have,
so we’re supporting the community in
that sense,” Motto said. “It does worlds
better for those bands [to be on a bill with
larger acts], as a opposed to a local-only
showcase where only a handful of people
come out.”
Cole said the bigger name shows
aren’t hurting the local scene at all.
They could make up for the lack of local
showcases with one large show a quarter,
he said, much like Racetrack’s final show
ASP Pop put on in October.
Motto and Cuellar said it’s been a
quarter of mostly ups for them in their
new venture. The only scare came when
the late November snowstorm threatened
to cancel The Faint show, Motto said.
But when The Faint hit the stage Cuellar
and Motto both agreed it was one of the
highest points of their quarter and their
concert-going careers.
“We always hear this story from
past coordinators about ‘you remember
this one time that Death Cab for Cutie
came and we over-sold the multipurpose
room by 100 tickets and the walls were
dripping with sweat from all the people,’”
Motto said. “Well it was like that for
The Faint, with half as many intensely
dancing people.”
The process of bringing acts to
campus rests in the hands of ASP Pop,
but the bands they book depends on the
general consensus of students in the
Western music community. Through
ASP Pop’s Web site and a Facebook
group, students can post suggestions
for bands they’d like to see on campus.
Motto and Cuellar said they check the
site religiously to get ideas.
Acts they book depends on bands’
schedules, when they are en route from
Vancouver to Seattle, they said, and it’s
usually about a five-week process to get
concrete plans.
ASP Pop has already built strong
relationships with numerous booking
agents this quarter, who after seeing what
the duo has done with the shows so far,
are eager to bring more of their clients to
Western.
“After we work with them on a show
they realize that this part of the country
loves coming out to shows,” Cuellar said.
“And some of the turnouts to our shows
are better than the Seattle shows.”
The response to the caliber of acts
from the campus and local community
has been extremely positive. Along with
the praise from “What’s Up!”, Whatcom
All Ages Art and Music booking
agent Tina North has expressed her
satisfaction.
“I think they’re doing a great job,”
North said. “Hopefully one of them will
come work with us someday.”
Motto and Cuellar said they have
been flattered by the number of people
coming up to them and thanking them for
the great shows. Cuellar said he’s noticed
at least one notable change in his life.
“Cat calls have gone up a lot,” he
said. “I can’t even walk downtown
anymore.”
John Coltrane. Billie Holiday. Herbie
Hancock. Bill Evans. Stan Getz. Coleman
Hawkins. What do all these names have
in common? They’re all legends of jazz
music. But here’s something the average
student might not know: one of the
professors here at Western has worked
with each of them.
Chuck Israels, Western’s music
department’s associate professor of music
and director of jazz studies for 20 years,
also directs Western’s jazz ensemble.
The ensemble will be performing its
quarterly concert at 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at the
Performing Arts Center in the concert
hall. The main ensemble will be joined
by a smaller, beginning level band and an
additional seven-piece band.
Alex Wallace, a Western senior, is
rounding out his fourth quarter with the
jazz ensemble. He says fall quarter has a
reputation of being a tough quarter for the
jazz group in terms of performances, as
fall usually marks the beginning of a new
band that hasn’t played with one another.
But despite the quarter’s reputation,
Wallace is excited for the performance.
“We’ve been able to get through nine
tunes in one quarter, which just goes to
show how far this band has come, even
though fall quarter is
usually a fresh start for
everyone,” Wallace said.
Each of the nine compositions the
group will be performing are arranged
by Israels, who put his own spin on jazz
classics by legends such as Thelonius
Monk, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke
Ellington.
Israels says his choice of music
for the ensemble to play is more than
just rudimentary jazz standards. He
says he believes most college bands
play mundane published jazz material.
Although there are some standard jazz
pieces Israels plans to include in future
performances that he classifies as classic
repertoire and he feels the band should
have in its arsenal.
“Sometimes the decisions are
educational ones, sometimes there’s an
arranging challenge that interests me,”
Israels said. “I write it in such a way that
the kids can play it and I get to hear the
things I want to hear. It’s all very alive
and very immediate. Our repertoire is a
big part of the personality of the band.”
Jason Cressey, a senior at Western
who is starting his fifth year with
the ensemble, said he is especially
excited about the pieces because of the
distinctive techniques Israels uses in his
arrangements.
“Every piece that this band plays
is unique to [Israels] and his style of
music,” Cressey said. “So
you won’t find music like
this anywhere in the world.
Jazz Concert
8 p.m. Dec. 8
Performing Arts
Center
Free
Thursday, Dec. 14
Owen Hart, Greyskull, The Assailant, Black
Breath, Dragline
Fantasia Espresso & Tea
All ages $5
Wisconsin Slim, Go Slowpoke, Shea Isley
Chiribin’s 10 p.m.
21+ FREE
Friday, Dec. 15
Ryan Stiles and Friends
The Upfront Theater
$15 general admission, $10 w/ student ID
The Party Favorites, Electronic Chinese
Orchestra, Foal
The Old Foundry
All ages $5
Saturday, Dec. 16
No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Styff Anyss, The Shotgun
Chiribin’s 10 p.m.
21+ $5
Places to study and eat:
1. Fantasia Espresso & Tea
Fantasia is open until 9 p.m. every night and
provides small tables and chairs for studying. It
offers free wireless Internet and serves coffee,
tea and pastries.
2. Horseshoe Café
The Horsehoe Café offers a variety of
sandwiches and food, and provides plenty
of tables and booths to sit and study at. The
Horseshoe is open 24 hours, and has free
wireless Internet.
3. IHOP
IHOP is open 24 hours and serves coffee,
breakfast and other meals all night. There is
plenty of seating, booths and tables.
4. Hana Teriyaki
Hana Teriyaki is open Monday-Saturday until
11 p.m., where big portions of teriyaki, rice and
other food is served. There are long benches
to sit on.
5. Village Books Café
Located on the top floor of Village Books, the
cafe is open until 9 p.m. every night, and serves
sandwiches and coffee.
Compiled by Katie Regan
12 |
Friday, December 8, 2006
The Western Front
The Western Front
WesternFrontOnline.com
F R I D AY
December 8, 2006
Jackson nears
record
Viking head coach eight victories away from Western’s all-time win record
Michael Harthorne
THE WESTERN FRONT
“You could be the greatest
coach in the whole world but if
you don’t have good players it’s
going to be tough,” said Viking
men’s basketball head coach
Brad Jackson.
Following
that
logic,
Jackson must have had some
great players during his 22
seasons as head coach of the
Vikings, because he is set to
become the winningest coach in
school history.
He earned his 403rd win on
Nov. 30 and is eight wins away
from Western’s record of 411 set
by former women’s basketball
coach Lynda Goodrich, who
is now Western’s director of
athletics.
Jackson started coaching
the Vikings in 1985 and guided
them to 22 wins in his second
season — the first of nine 20win seasons with the team. He
is 19th in career wins among
NCAA Division II active
coaches.
Jackson found success
because he is a player’s coach,
Goodrich said. He knows how
to find each player’s strength and
they enjoy his coaching style,
she said.
Jackson takes care of his
players and knows how to get
the most effort out of them, said
Viking senior captain Lukas
Henne.
“He’s not going to run you
into the ground in practice or
scream at you,” Henne said.
More than anything else,
Jackson said he considers
himself a teacher. Watching
the players grow on and off the
court is the most gratifying part
of coaching, Jackson said.
“It’s a great classroom,”
he said. “It’s one of the best
teaching scenarios you could
possibly have.”
Henne
said
Jackson’s
coaching philosophy benefited
him.
“He’s taught me a lot of
things outside of the game like
dealing with people and working
as a team,” Henne said.
The win record isn’t a
career goal, but a testament to
the players Jackson has coached,
he said. He would rather focus
on helping players improve and
letting the records take care of
themselves, he said.
Goodrich
said
more
milestones could be in Jackson’s
see RECORD page 15 u
PAGE
13
Slipups
steal
seasons
C O L U M NI S T
Andrew Irvine
Too
many
questions
surrounded sports in the Pacific
Northwest this past year.
What if Seattle Seahawks
tackle Sean Locklear wasn’t
called for holding in the Super
Bowl? What would have
happened to the University of
Washington men’s basketball
teams if forward Mike Jensen
didn’t commit that devastating
last-minute foul in the NCAA
tournament? How far would
the Western basketball teams
have gone if they had beaten
the Seattle Pacific University
teams?
I try to answer questions
instead of ask them in my
column, but it’s impossible to
look back on the last year and
not wonder, “what if…”
The Western men’s and
women’s basketball teams had
incredible regular seasons. Both
were nationally ranked nearly
all season and sprinted into the
playoffs. Unfortunately, that’s
where the fun ended.
The women’s team hosted
the regional tournament for
the first time in its history.
Western took on Seattle Pacific
University in the first round and
photo by Justin Steyer THE WESTERN FRONT
Viking head coach Brad Jackson looks on as the men’s basketball
team practices Thursday at Carver Gym. Jackson is eight wins from
becoming Western’s winningest coach in school history.
see LETDOWN page 15 u
14 |
Friday, December 8, 2006
SPORTS
The Western Front
Changing of the guard
Elyse Hartman shows passion on the
court, hard work in the classroom
Keeli Archer
the western front
photo by Mark Malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
Viking junior guard Elyse Hartman drives to the hoop in a 81-74 victory over Northwest Missouri State
University Nov. 25 at Carver Gym.
Elyse
Hartman,
who
became point guard for the
Viking women’s basketball
team this season, enjoys mint
chocolate chip ice cream and
watching TV shows such as
“Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost”
in her down time. But Hartman
is all business when it comes to
basketball.
“She brings intensity to
the game and is a hard worker
all around for both defense and
offense,” said Willow Cabe, a
teammate of Hartman.
Hartman was a young
girl living in Alaska when her
basketball career began. Her
older sister, Erin, got attention
for playing basketball, which
sparked Hartman’s interest in
the sport.
“I was jealous because my
parents would go to my sister
Erin’s games and practices, so I
started playing on a community
team when I was in second
grade,” Hartman said.
“The first game she played,
she was eight years old and the
score was 8 to 0,” said Natalie
Hartman, Elyse’s Mother. “ She
scored 6 of those 8 points and
we just knew then that she was a
ball player.”
Hartman
said
she
discovered a love for the game
of basketball, and played on
summer teams starting in
sixth grade. Jim Young, who
coached Hartman early in her
career, strongly encouraged her,
Hartman said.
Young coached Hartman
through middle school and up
to her high school graduation,
Hartman said.
“He just really supported
me and really wanted me to get
a scholarship,” she said.
Young’s and Hartman’s
hope for a basketball scholarship
were realized when the Vikings
recruited Hartman at a Western
summer basketball camp.
Now a junior and sociology
major, Hartman said she is able
to stay on top of schoolwork
more during basketball season
than in the offseason.
“I come home from
practice, relax a bit, eat dinner
and do my homework so I can
watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and
‘Lost,’ Hartman said.
Studying during team road
trips isn’t as easy, Hartman said.
She said she stays on top of
school on the road by using that
time for assigned reading and
making flashcards for herself.
“If I’m in a class with
another girl on the team, we’ll
get together in someone’s
room and split up questions
on the study guide and go into
detail with the other about the
questions,” Hartman said.
Viking women’s basketball
coach Carmen Dolfo described
Hartman as being “smart on
the court and in the classroom.”
Hartman not only works hard to
keep up in school, she worked
even harder last season when
Dolfo moved her from a two
guard to point guard, Dolfo
said.
Hartman had always played
two guard, but coaches changed
her position because the point
guard became available.
“When you’re a point guard
you have to be really verbal out
on the court because you have
to tell everyone where to go and
that has been a big challenge for
me,” Hartman said.
As a point guard, Hartman
said she tries to help her team
keep their composure on the
court when things get hectic.
“Elyse is a motivated player
who works hard constantly,” said
Viking freshman guard Gabby
Wade. “She is very scrappy and
directive.”
SPORTS
WesternFrontOnline.com
Regional, WWU sports fall at seasons’ end
u LETDOWN from 13
things looked promising. Then
in the second half, the Viking
shooters went cold. The team
relinquished a 15-point lead and
lost 70-50 to SPU. The early exit
was crushing to a team that lost
only one game all season.
Things went in a similar
direction for the men’s team.
After an outstanding regular
season in which the squad went
23-7, the men also fell to a solid
SPU team. The Vikings, who
graduated eight seniors, had
more veterans than a Veterans
of Foreign Wars Hall and still
couldn’t escape the regional
tournament. You can bet Grant
Dykstra, Tyler Amaya, Ryan
Diggs and the rest of the 2006
seniors are still wondering what
could have happened if they
just made it past the rival SPU
squad.
To the south, University
of Washington Husky fans are
also scratching their heads in
bewilderment after the past
year. The men’s basketball team
reached the Sweet Sixteen of
the NCAA tournament. The
Huskies were one boneheaded
Mike Jensen foul from the Elite
Eight. It’s hard to say whether
the Dawgs would have reached
the national championship, but
I wouldn’t have bet any money
against a motivated Brandon
Roy, who now plays in the NBA,
and the rest of the Huskies.
Even more perplexing for
Husky fans could have been the
sudden demise of the football
team in 2006. Husky nation reemerged after the team ran out
to a 4-1 record — then disaster
struck. On Oct. 14 against
Oregon State, Quarterback
Isaiah Stanback scrambled
down the sideline until his ankle
twisted and popped. The injury
ended Stanback’s career and
UW’s season. The Huskies lost
five of their last six games and
fans were left to ponder what
could have been.
I’m growing immune to
the bad calls, untimely injuries
and blown leads that embody
the Northwest sports scene, but
nothing could prepare me for
Super Bowl XL. The Seahawks
were rolling and it didn’t seem
as if anything could get in the
way of the NFC champions.
Reaching the Super Bowl
allowed us to taste what a big
win was like.
As it turned out, reaching
the Super Bowl was like being
fed an appetizer without a
following entrée. The Super
Bowl should have resulted
in euphoria, but instead,
Seahawks tight end Jerramy
Stevens dropped balls and the
refs missed calls. After four
agonizing quarters it became
clear that the victory belonged
to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a
franchise that already has four
Super Bowl trophies. Say what
you want about the game — I’m
pretty sure the refs were drunk
— but the Seahawks came away
with nothing but questions.
I hate to use clichés, but one
I agree with says, ‘almost only
exists in horseshoes and hand
grenades.’ Looking back at our
beloved teams this past year, it’s
a shame we couldn’t compete in
either of those areas because the
Pacific Northwest was almost
a region to be reckoned with in
2006.
WesternFrontOnline.com
No trees were killed in the making of this Web site
Friday, December 8, 2006
| 15
As the Seattle
Seahawks reach the
final quarter of the
season, it’s difficult
to know which
direction the team
is heading. On one
hand, they are a
virtual lock for the
post-season. The starting lineup returned from injuries and three
of the final four games are against teams with losing records.
Even so, it’s hard to feel secure about the Seahawks. Every
victory seems exhausting. When the defense steps up, the offense
stumbles. Each time the offense puts up points, the defense gives
them right back.
The thing is, the Seahawks didn’t dominate games last year
either. The team should have lost to the New York Giants and the
Dallas Cowboys but didn’t. Good teams can win ugly games and
that is exactly what has happened again in 2006.
With the Arizona Cardinals next on the schedule, the
Seahawks should get the offense back on track. The West Coast
style the Seahawks run is dependent on rhythm and the team
hasn’t been able to click yet this season.
The Cardinals are one of the worst teams in the NFL. The
Seahawks need to take advantage of the scheduling and come out
as the aggressors.
The next few games will determine the playoff seeding in
the NFL. It will be interesting to see just how good the 2006
Seahawks are.
Andrew Irvine’s
u RECORD from 13
future.
“Maybe he’ll surpass Bobby
Knight [third in all-time college
coaching wins] and Dean Smith
[first in all time college coaching
wins],” Goodrich said, laughing.
Jackson said he feels
fortunate for his success and
longevity at Western.
“It’s a very unusual job
and the hours are crazy, but
the payback is phenomenal,
particularly as it relates to
relationships and the growth of
kids,” Jackson said. “Hopefully
we’ve been able to make an
impact in the lives of a lot of
people — and that, to me, is the
most important thing.”
16 |
The Western Front
Friday, December 8, 2006
Women’s locker room gets face-lift
Kim Higginbotham
The western front
With its dim lighting and
long halls lined with accolades
for former Vikings, Carver Gym
is the hub of the varsity Viking
athletic program. Despite renovations to
dorms and educational buildings
all over campus, not much has
been done to Carver Gym since
a renovation in 1962, said Lynda
Goodrich, Western’s director of
athletics.
“I went to school here in
the ‘60s and my locker was still
[in the locker room] before the
renovation,” Goodrich said.
The
original
athletic
building was built in 1936. The
1962 renovation added 54,233
square feet of space, with three
gyms, varsity locker rooms,
offices and classrooms.
As the Viking athletic
program has grown over the
years, many components have
been added to it. When Carver
Gym was built, women’s
athletics were not offered,
nor were weight training and
physical therapy.
Aside from the Parberry
Strength Center, which was
updated in 2003, few additional
facilities have been built to
accommodate the growth of the
department, Goodrich said.
“The university needs to
face that this facility is really
in bad shape,” Goodrich said.
“We’re not looking for the Taj
Mahal here. We’re just looking
for something up to date that
meets the needs we have.”
The women’s locker rooms
underwent renovation this past
summer to provide more upto-date facilities for varsity
athletes. The new facility
provides separate locker rooms
for the women’s volleyball and
photo by Kim Higginbotham THE WESTERN FRONT
The newly renovated women’s basketball locker room serves as a meeting place for the team to watch game films and prepare for competition,
as well as work on homework and relax.
basketball teams, a lounge open
to all varsity athletes and new
furnishings in the general locker
room.
Goodrich
said
the
renovations are an asset for the
entire department, which had
received complaints from student
athletes about safety issues due
to inadequate facilities.
Most universities have
separate meeting rooms for each
varsity team, Goodrich said.
Spokespersons from Central
Washington University and
Seattle University said they have
team-meeting rooms for each
of their varsity sports. Seattle
University has a sauna in each
locker room.
Prior to the Carver Gym
renovation, teams who use the
locker rooms shared the space.
Building meeting rooms and
updating the locker rooms is
important for the volleyball
and basketball teams, Goodrich
said. “Those two sports
practice in the gym,” she said.
“They play their games in the
gym. They live in the gym.”
The new space was also
needed for teams to watch game
films, discuss strategies and
mentally prepare for games,
Goodrich said. The locker rooms
are also a benefit to recruiting
— the better the facilities, the
better the program will look to
potential recruits, she said.
In addition to new lockers,
the team has more workspace
than they had in the old locker
room, said student assistant
coach Courtney Clapp. Each
locker room has a computer and
Internet access that athletes can
use for homework. The athletic department
raised approximately $100,000
to furnish the new locker rooms.
The money was budgeted for
the restoration, none of which
came out of the 2006-2007
budget, Goodrich said. State
funds, which were requested
separately, were used only for
the structural construction of
the new facilities.
The athletic department
budget for this academic year
is $4.3 million. This includes
income and expenditures for
the summer camp programs.
Of this money, approximately
one-third is state supported,
one-third comes from student
fees and one-third is fundraised,
Goodrich said.
“We have to raise a
considerable amount to support
ourselves,” Goodrich said.
Funds are raised through the
Western Washington University
Foundation, as well as donations
collected by staff, faculty and
student athletes.
A full renovation of Carver
Gym is in the works. The actual
construction likely won’t happen
for six or seven years, Goodrich
said.
WesternFrontOnline.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
| 17
The Western Front
WesternFrontOnline.com
F R I D AY
December 8, 2006
PAGE
18
Shake up studying Photo feature not creepy
When
finals
getting something
approach,
stress
done. The buzz of
and studying can
conversation may
become the only
help you focus
Frontline editorials reflect
the opinion of the
tangible
reality.
while you remain
editorial board and not
However, we can
connected with
the staff or advertisers
and should consider
the rest of the
of The Western Front.
shaking up that
world.
The
reality with slight modifications
liveliness of the environment
to our normal study habits,
may help you stay awake.
but without changing them too
A change of scenery also
much.
removes you from some of the
Avoid
cramming.
distractions in your home, such
Cramming might bolster shortas television, household chores
term memory, but in the long
or the Internet.
term you will forget everything
If group or pair studying
you stayed up all night trying to
works for you, arrange a study
imprint into your brain. Manage
group. Make sure you meet way
your time so you don’t have
ahead of your final and come
to do all of your work the day
prepared. That way, if you are
before your deadline.
depending on someone else to
If you do cram, study half,
look up answers for you and he
go to sleep, and then wake up
or she doesn’t, you have the time
early to finish the other half. At
to look them up for yourself.
least that way you will get some
Talking concepts over and
sleep and your brain will have
quizzing each other can help you
enough rest to absorb more
get a stronger grasp of material.
facts.
Create
motivational
If you consistently stay up
incentives
for
yourself.
late and distract yourself with
Scheduled breaks or fun things
non-school-related activities, try
can become deadlines that help
getting up early in the morning
you get certain parts of studying
on the days before your final
or projects done.
instead. When you wake up that
If you are a list-maker, make
early, you will hate yourself if
a list. In the list, break down
you are not doing something
what you have to do into smaller
productive. No one else is up
segments, so you can have the
and there won’t be any social
sense of accomplishment as you
events to distract you from your
cross each thing off.
notes.
Remember to eat a good
Have a conversation with a
breakfast — but not too much.
friend who is not in your class
Exercise and get a full night
and try to explain a concept to
sleep the day before your exam.
him or her. One of the best ways
If
you
don’t
drink
to reinforce learning is to teach
caffeinated drinks, the morning
someone else the concept you
of your sumo-sized exam is
are trying remember.
not the time to start. If you do
Make sure you don’t
regularly drink coffee, don’t
waste time by turning your
stop, but try drinking less or
conversation into a “Woe is me,
switching to tea, which has less
I have so much to do” pity party.
caffeine. Too much coffee can
If you have to study for a
aggravate any test anxiety you
long period of time in one day,
may have.
try changing the scenery. Get
Now is not the time to slack
out of your usual workspace and
off. Now is the time to hit your
study somewhere else.
books and hit them hard. Good
Try a late night diner, the
luck.
cafeteria, a coffee shop or the
library, but don’t go somewhere
The editorial board is
you have never been before if
comprised of Editor-in-Chief
you think it might be too loud
Lance Henderson, Managing
or distracting for you when
Editor Ryan Wynne, Opinion
studying.
Editor Kristi Pihl, student-atHowever, having busy
large Randall Ragsdale and
people around you may cause
ad office representative Kayla
you to feel like you should be
Britt.
POLLSTER
Where do you study best?
A. In your bedroom
B. In the library
C. At a diner or café
D. Studying? What’s that?
GO TO
WesternFrontOnline.com
TO VOTE
Jenny Leak
the western front
Steps of class registration: 1. Decide
which courses to take. 2. Check out
professors’ “hotness” rating and photographs
at RateMyProfessors.com. 3. Add classes on
Web4U.
More
than
a
month
ago
RateMyProfessor.com, which allows college
students to evaluate professors based on
helpfulness, easiness and clarity, added a
photo feature called Professor Pictures. Any
account holder on the Web site can upload
photographs to professors’ scorecards.
The Web site advertises the new feature
with someone holding a camera phone and
snapping a picture of a woman. Many
women would interpret the intent of the
advertisement as sneaky and creepy and
some professors may feel nervous about the
capabilities of any user’s ability to upload
any photo.
However, most of the posted pictures
look like yearbook photos. Either members
of RateMyProfessors.com are using common
sense or the Web site is doing a decent job of
posting only appropriate photos.
Professors should remain calm about
the new feature because, so far, Professor Pictures
seems harmless. The Web site’s disclaimer states
pictures must be appropriate or the Web site’s
administrators will remove them.
Western senior and RateMyProfessors.
com frequenter Keenan Haines said his physics
professor laughed when informing the class about
the Web site a few years ago.
In the past, students only had access to ratings
and reviews of professors. Now, students have the
opportunity to recognize a professor before the
first day of class.
Communication lecturer Paul Bingham said
he would prefer to be
“Most of
asked before having
the posted
his photo uploaded to
his page on the Web
pictures look
site.
like yearbook
The
Professor
Pictures addition to
photos.”
the Web site satisfies
a curiosity for students who want to know who
to expect in the classroom before the first day of
class.
Students are going to eventually see what the
professor looks like anyway, especially if they
decide to take his or her class, Western senior
Alaina Hasegawa said.
The Web site claims it is a forum for open
discussion and students can legally post whatever
they want because the First Amendment protects
cartoon by Tristan Robson the western front
against censorship.
Legally, a photograph belongs to the
photographer and the decision to post it online is
up to him or her.
Whoever took the photo owns that photo, said
Terrence Nowicki, a Western senior majoring in art
and creative writing.
The Web site allows anyone to open an
account. Professors could look up their own
names to check their scores, read reviews and
upload pictures of themselves if they so desire. If a
photo posting is incorrect, the Web site will fix the
mistake when notified by a site member.
Anyone who has walked through a Western
computer lab has seen the popularity of
MySpace.com on screen after screen. In a sense,
RateMyProfessors.com is the academic version of
profile Web sites.
RateMyProfessors.com needs to be used
responsibly by students. To be beneficial, the
process of grading professors should be truthful
and uploaded pictures should be tasteful. A
professor should not be degraded with a humiliating
photograph snapped on a camera phone.
A real controversial development would be a
rate-your-ex Web site where someone could check
out a prospective crush’s date-worthiness. Posting
incriminating photographs of an ex would actually
be controversial compared to posting a professor’s
headshot.
Time to rethink immigration
failed to do so while
draining the Roman
Building a fence
treasury in his efforts
or wall takes little
to build a wall across
thought, imagination
the width of England.
or creativity on the
The Great Wall of
part of Congress
China did little to deter
to deal with the
the Hunnic and Mongol
immigration issue
tribes from penetrating
that has consumed
the greater part of
Prof.
Larry
J.
the American public
Chinese society. Not
Estrada
for the better part of
Social theory
to mention the Berlin
two decades.
and comparative Wall.
One only has cultural studies
The only thing
to look at how walls
a wall will accomplish in this
in the past have fared. Roman
century is to further alienate
emperor Hadrian wanted to
the United States from the rest
keep out the barbarian Scots and
GUEST COLUMN
of the Americas, which have
proven through recent elections
and populist movements that
they will not follow a prescribed
pathway of globalization that
allows for the free movement
of currency while maintaining
hegemonial control and static
stratification over three quarters
of the world’s population.
U n d o c u m e n t e d
immigration, or the movement
of economic refugees, is a
global cycle about how people
pursue a means to make a living
see Immigration page 19 u
OPINION
WesternFrontOnline.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
Wall, guards not realistic solution
u Immigration from 18
going from impoverished and debt-ridden
nations, further squeezed by the International
Monetary Fund and World Bank, to richer
ones in search of jobs and opportunities
that sometimes only pay a fraction of what
middle-class Americans call a livable salary.
Global
development
has
often
established the conditions essential for
governments to wipe out communal lands,
confiscate resources and impose restrictions
upon populations who once lived together
in a sustainable fashion. As globalization,
designed by modern day neo-liberalists, has
encompassed the globe, so has the amount of
uprooted people seeking a means for survival
for themselves and their families.
Success and tragedy literally pave the
roads and desert tracks from Mexico to
the United States. Money can often buy a
reliable “coyote” or smuggler along with
false identification documents. The poor face
the hazards and peril of walking through
the desert, sometimes with children. Others
will hitch rides on trains and in horrific
cases fall to their death or have one or
more limbs severed. People are forced to
scramble through rivers while women are
often violated or trafficked in a brutal and
Letter
to
the
Editor
Readers — get involved
Your Frontline editorials
throughout the fall have been
most thoughtful.
You began with a persuasive
plea for everyone to share views
with reporters, despite past
errors in coverage and quotes.
humiliating fashion.
More than half of Mexico’s population
lives in poverty while a good portion of the
middle class have seen their standard of
living dramatically erode in line with the
implementation of North American Free
Trade Agreement and other economic trade
agreements. On the other hand the top 5
percent of Mexico’s economic elite in recent
years have seen gains often superceding 500
percent of their net worth in line with their
North American trading partners and fellow
tycoons. It is for this reason that so many risk
their lives and the alienation of their families
and loved ones to seek work in “El Norte.”
The U.S. Congress and the present
leadership of our nation have failed to
assess and comprehend the true causes for
immigration patterns. It has been easier for
them to point fingers at Latinos, Asians and
others proclaiming that they are the cause of
our declining economy, terrorism, spiraling
crime rate and potential pandemics. Fear
has and will always continue to be the last
dominion of failed politics.
Rather than the erection of a $20-billion
wall and further militarization of border
employees, maybe we could use a fraction of
those resources to work hand in hand with
our Latin American neighbors to support
sustainable development and work programs
M o r e
r e c ent ly,
the Nov. 17
Frontline urged
everyone to freely express ideas,
even those deemed radical or
unpopular. Freedom of inquiry
and expression is critical in
higher education. The Academic
Freedom Task Force is taking
this up this year, and everyone is
in those nations that provide livable wages
and the means to support families and
communities. Rather than furthering the
wholesale exploitation of our remaining
continental resources maybe together we can
provide jobs and incentives for conservancy
and land stewardship that can reclaim
blighted and over-used farm lands and water
resources that have long been tied to cash
crop production.
It is incumbent upon our government to
initiate a comprehensive immigration plan
that entails a means for many in our nation
to become citizens in order for them to reap
the benefits of their labor and sacrifices
while at the same time working in a mutually
cooperative and respectful fashion to resolve
continental issues.
An immigration policy that does not
recognize the root of the problem is merely
applying a bandage to a severed limb.
Additionally, a policy that fails to respond to
human needs in a humane fashion is doomed
to failure and reprisal by those whom it
hopes to serve.
Prof. Larry J. Estrada is the Director of
American Cultural Studies and a professor
of Fairhaven College. He is co-editor
of “Immigration in America Today: An
Encyclopedia.”
free to contact Christian Opfer
of the Student Senate, or me, to
express their concerns on this.
Finally, you argued with
the Nov. 28 Frontline for the
open use of Red Square, citing
the impressive Nov. 16 Die in
by 200 students and faculty
protesting the war, as well as
anti-abortion and come-toChrist advocates.
We can’t possibly agree
with all points of view, but
they provoke us to think,
and ultimately help sustain
democracy. The Frontline is
helping challenge everyone in
the Western community to be
more engaged.
So tag, reader — you’re it.
-Dr. James Loucky
Professor of Anthropology
| 19
Are you going to
buy local for the
holidays? Why or
why not?
Rachel Elliot
freshman
“If I had the money I would, but
I don’t have the money.”
Anthony Mukerjee
sophomore
“It’s important to support local
farmers and the local economy
— to push out corporations.”
Mike Oldani
junior
“Put some money back into
Bellingham and keep things up
and running.”
Compiled by Michael Harthorne
20 |
The Western Front
Friday, December 8, 2006
Use printed page wisely
C O L U M NIST
Matt Gagne
The power of the printed page
is an unwieldy weapon: it is easily
swung but often misses its target.
Such is the case in the Dec. 4
issue of the AS Review, in which
a column — I hope inadvertently
— promoted the illegal use of
prescription drugs Adderall and
Ritalin as study aids. The article
in question, “The Weekly Buzz:
Drugs & Finals” is a testament
to an author’s misuse of language
and media.
The article begins on the
premise of stressed out, blearyeyed students blundering their
way through finals with the aid
of coffee. But coffee, the author
suggests, is not enough “for some
of us.”
Word choice is important.
Through the use of the word
“us,” the author, Alex Hudson,
identifies herself with the use of
the drugs, whether she takes them
or not. As a Drug Information
Center coordinator, Hudson’s title
coupled with the implied drug use,
give her authority that she abuses.
Hudson abuses that authority
by placing judgments on the
effects of the drugs.
Drugs, whether legal or
illegal, do not have positive or
negative effects. They have effects
— some intended, some not. The
effects of a drug on a person who is
not in need of it are never positive.
The intended effects of Ritalin
and Adderall are to alleviate the
symptoms of Attention Deficit
Disorder, not to act as a study aid.
Hudson minimizes the socalled negative effects by placing
them at the end of the article.
And not until the tail end
does Hudson mention that taking,
selling or possessing these drugs
without a prescription is illegal.
The whimsical nature of the legal
consequences of the drugs leaves
an impression that the practice of
taking Ritalin or Adderall is okay
— unless you get caught.
Informing readers about the
drugs and their prevalence during
times such as finals is an honorable
thing to do. However, Hudson
approached the subject riding the
white elephant of objectivity.
Journalists often hide in the
shade of the objective umbrella and
throw around the word so much we
hardly know what it means. Most
of us realize everything we write
comes from a perspective. But we
try to carefully choose our words
to avoid misleading our readers.
Part of our training as
journalists is to learn the power
of the pen and wield it effectively
as we write. By no means does
this make us perfect. Journalists
— with or without intent — can
abuse the power the podium of
language affords them.
Regardless, any publication
bears a responsibility for the
content of its pages, despite the
disclaimers of “the opinions
published here are not necessarily
those of the publication.” The
editors still decide to publish the
piece and must take responsibility
for the content of that piece.
We’re at Western to learn to
be responsible members of the
media, a difficult task in the age
of the Internet. Blogs and the
Internet’s innate capability for
endless publishing have made
everyone a journalist.
Publications like the AS
Review and The Western Front,
which are the primary media
outlets plugged into the lives of
students, bear great responsibility
to the microcosm of campus. By
no means is The Front innocent on
this façade, but as good journalists
know, journalism is more than
writing — it’s eternal vigilance
on the discourse in society of and
about itself.
And in this day and age,
that vigilance is everyone’s
responsibility.
Campus police should
study access laws
There is nothing
more frustrating than
E D ITOR
police who do not know
IN CH IEF
Lance
the law.
Henderson
On Nov. 30, a
Western Front reporter
requested a police report from University Police regarding
an incident where officers responded to a smoke alarm and
discovered a drug “manufacture/grow” operation in the Buchanan
Towers residence hall. The reporter specifically requested, via email, the suspect’s name, address, age and the type and quantity of
evidence but was told that no report could be released because the
police claimed it could compromise the ongoing investigation.
However, according to the Web site of the Student Press
Law Center, a legal resource for student journalists, releasing a
suspect’s name, age, and type and quantity of evidence cannot
jeopardize any investigation.
Five days after our initial request we were told again that
University Police could not release any information, and our email was not a valid request for the information. Being diligent
journalists, we did a little digging. According to the Revised
Code of Washington, our e-mail was a valid request (RCW
42.56.040), the police must respond in a timely and prompt
fashion (RCW 42.56.520) and the police cannot drag their feet
and withhold information just because we are the student press
(RCW 42.56.080).
The free fl ow of information within the boundaries of press
laws is essential to accurate and complete coverage of our campus
community. When the University Police are slow and hesitant to
release information to the press, it makes things look suspicious.
If we are denied access to information and suspects are not being
charged, we begin to wonder why that material is being guarded.
But in the end, it didn’t even matter. Our reporters tracked
the suspect down and he told us his story (See News page 1).
This just goes to show an official’s attempt to roadblock can’t
keep good journalists down.