Businesses sunk by recession

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
IT'S TIME FOR
PLAN B
BRIDAL EXPO
BLITZ
Volume 149, Issue 2
> see pg. 10
> see pages 8-9
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF
INDEPENDENT
JOURNALISM // pg 6-7
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SINCE 1970 | WESTERNFRONTONLINE.NET
Businesses sunk by recession
Lack of revenue causes downtown retail
stores to close more than in average year
Chelsea Kennedy | WF
photo by Carey Rose | WF
The Hempest is one of many Bellingham stores which closed in late 2009.
Taxable retail sales fell 14 percent during
January to March of 2009, the largest drop in
state history according to the Washington Department of Revenue.
For downtown Bellingham, this rings true
with several retail stores closing their doors in
2009 and early 2010, including: Swell, ReThreads, True Blue Boutique, Cameo Shoe
Shoppe, Frank James, The Hempest and
Paris Texas.
Student transferred to
hospital for drug overdose
Samantha Oberholzer | WF
A woman was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 9 after
ingesting hallucinogens in the Fairhaven
Academic Building.
“She brought herself to the attention
of the staff,” ResLife Associate Director
John Purdie said.
The staff then alerted University Po-
lice, who contacted the paramedics, he
said.
“These situations can be scary for
students and it’s a good idea to call their
resident advisor or University Police,”
Purdie said.
Purdie said he suggested students get
information about substance use from the
Wellness Outreach Center if they have any
questions.
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership
acts as a liaison between decision makers,
such as the City Council, and downtown business owners. They also hold an information
office downtown. Events coordinator Lindsey
Payne said it is common for stores to come
and go, but 2009 claimed more than normal.
“There are more than 12 empty stores on
Cornwall Street,” Payne said. “This is not a
see > CLOSED, pg. 4
Relentless
Vikings defeat conference champs 78-58
See pg. 13 for story
Campus drug and alcohol violations
number of refferals written
800
700
REFFERALS
655
600
500
400
466
300
200
100
0
84
2006
98
2007
years
150
number of arrests made
128
Western student refferals and arrests for
REFERRALS FOR LIQUOR liquor violations on
campus, along with
LAW VIOLATIONS
arrests for drug-relat401
ed violations, have
been in a steady
268
decline since 2006.
REFFERALS FOR DRUG- Referrals for drug-reRELATED VIOLATIONS lated violations have
increased in the past
three years.
2008
ARRESTS
120
90
96
58
60
30
0
28 RELATED VIOLATIONS
2007
years
Source: Annual security report, University Police
ARRESTS FOR LIQUOR
LAW VIOLATIONS
ARRESTS FOR DRUG-
29
2006
61
2008
illustration by Sam Vogt | WF
*Editors note: The annual security report has not been updated through 2010
photo by Brett Flora | WF
2
|
News
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
Cops Box
University Police
Jan. 9
• Police responded to
reports of an overflowing sink in the Ridgeway
Commons.
• Police responded to
a malicious mischief
charge in Arntzen Hall.
They found a broken
door handle.
Jan. 10
• Police
arrested
a
19-year-old man on suspicion of assault in the
third degree and resisting arrest and booked
him
into
Whatcom
County Jail.
Bellingham Police
photos by Julie Franz | WF
Slick salsa steppin' | Western senior Celina Meza and Craig Berringer, 22, have been dancing salsa since September. They
started dancing at U and Me Dance in Bellingham and later joined Western’s Salsa Club. The Salsa Club meets every Monday at 8
p.m. in the multi-purpose room in the Viking Union.
THE WESTERN FRONT
Western Washington University
Communications Building 251
Bellingham, WA 98225
SEND PRESS RELEASES TO:
[email protected]
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
(360) 650-3162
Editor in chief ............................................ Nicholas Johnson, [email protected]
Managing editor ..................................... Katie Greene, [email protected]
News editor .................................................... Kipp Robertson, [email protected]
News editor ............................................. Benjamin Woodard, [email protected]
Arts & Life editor ...................................... Kevin Minnick, [email protected]
Arts & Life editor ................................... Keegan Prosser, [email protected]
Sports editor ................................................ Andrew Mitchell, [email protected]
Opinion editor ............................................... Tristan Hiegler, [email protected]
Photo editor ..................................................... Hailey Tucker, [email protected]
Online editor ..................................................... Alex Roberts, [email protected]
Copy editor ...................................................... Megan Jonas, [email protected]
Copy editor .............................................. Andrea Williamson, [email protected]
Faculty adviser .................................................................... John Harris, [email protected]
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
(360) 650-3160
Advertising manager............................................Michele Anderson
Business manager..................................................Alethea Macomber
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 involved in a course in
the department of journalism, but any student enrolled at Western may offer stories to the
editors. Members of the Western community are entitled to a single free copy of each issue
of the Western Front.
Jan. 10
• Police responded to a
woman who reported
being attacked and
robbed of her purse
on the 3300 block of
Meridian Street.
Jan. 11
• Police responded to a
residence where there
were reports of a prowler. The suspect fled when
residents noticed him.
• Police cited a 48-yearold man on the suspicion of shoplifting on the
200 block of 36th Street.
Cops Box compiled by Raymond Flores
NEWS |
westernfrontonline.net | Tuesday • January 12, 2010
3
Veteran discusses life on campus
Student veterans build trust with
vietnam vet, adjust to civilian life
Cristina Roock | WF
Student veterans may find it
difficult to adjust from the military to college, but they do not
have to make that transition on
their own.
Western faculty veterans offer academic advice. Fairhaven
professor Larry Estrada, a Vietnam
War veteran, is one faculty member
that helps student veterans.
Estrada is the director of
Fairhaven’s American Cultural
Studies program and has also
given support and advice to
student veterans. Estrada is a
Fairhaven associate professor
and a Vietnam Marine Corps
veteran.
He began working for Western in 1989 as an administrator
in Student Affairs and Diversity
and continued on as assistant
vice president and provost before teaching full-time in 1997.
Student veterans tend to approach Estrada because they have
the mutual experience through
the Marines, Estrada said. Some
advice he gives student veterans
is to use experience to build on
because it makes them expand
on traits learned through the
Marines, such as focus and dis-
cipline, Estrada said.
“Don’t be bitter about those
experiences, build on them instead,” Estrada said.
Estrada chose to enlist with
the Marine Corps instead of
drafting into the Army because
he was given the option to become a photojournalist, he said.
Estrada was not on the front line
as a combat soldier, but was a
photojournalist for the U.S. embassy in Saigon and worked for
magazine periodicals and other
newspapers, he said.
The articles he wrote there
were about servicemen in the
military, Estrada said.
Some of Estrada's articles
focused on soldiers who were
awarded for combat action
against the enemy, he said. Some
of the recognized soldiers also
lost their arms or legs, Estrada
said. His articles were sent to the
hometowns of the soldiers.
Military publications handle
news differently than newspapers, he said. Censorship was
rampant and the military reviewed articles harshly before
printing, he said. Editorials were
not allowed and photos were
also censored, Estrada said.
While he served in Vietnam,
Estrada wondered what role he
and the U.S. had in the war, Estrada said.
The military had a class
stratification system where many
frontline combat soldiers were
from lower income backgrounds
and college graduates were
mostly officers, Estrada said.
In Vietnam, the combat soldiers and officers faced animosity from locals, Estrada said.
After the war ended the
military faced critical reception in the U.S and the anti-war
presence was strong because the
Vietnam War had been seen as
an unjust cause, he said.
Estrada joined an anti-war
organization known as the Chicano Moratorium and was a
member until the end of the Vietnam War, he said.
The Chicano population
created a movement to protest
the large number of minorities
drafted for combat as opposed to
the vast majority group, he said.
Poverty, the draft and the lack
of access to college at the time
made minorities more likely to
get drafted and Chicanos called
into question the action of drafting minorities with low-income
and disadvantages, he said.
Estrada participated in demonstrations in east Los Angeles.
War experience has influenced the way he teaches students as well, he said. Estrada
photo by Hailey Tucker| WF
Fairhaven professor Larry Estrada. He is a Marine veteran from the Vietnam conflict. Many student veterans seek his advice in relation to adjusting to college life.
holds a discussion of the Vietnam era in his Chicano studies
and history classes. Hard questions must be asked of our nations president and representa-
tives, he said.
“Students should be critical
of what the government is doing
with the war, budgets and higher
education,” Estrada said.
4 | NEWS
> CLOSED
Popular stores
for students
are closing
< pg. 1
great site for tourists to see.”
Western alumna and former
Swell shop owner Heather Fenstermaker kept her store open
for exactly one year. In addition
to owning her store she also had
a full-time job at an investment
firm. Balancing time was an issue, but so was the recession,
Fenstermaker said.
Fenstermaker opened Swell
as a solution for shoppers to
find casual organic wear, and as
a way for students to buy those
items and without breaking their
banks.
Fenstermaker knew when
she opened her shop on Dec. 31,
2008, that she was opening in
the beginning of the recession.
“I had steady business,”
Fenstermaker said. “But it was
a different rate of steady: it was
recession steady.”
Fenstermaker said between
Swell, The Hempest and ReThreads closing, this will severely limit the public’s options
for buying organic or recycled
clothing. Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
“When I was a student I
never knew where to shop,”
Fenstermaker said. “Now it will
be even harder for people, especially students, who are looking
for that type of clothing.”
Paris Texas, a clothing store
and a staple at the Red Square
Fair with their loud music and
free giveaways, has been open
since 2003. It is currently liquidating all its merchandise and
plans to close its doors by Jan.
16.
“We have been cranking
money and sweat into something
that isn’t making any profit,”
Paris Texas employee Ryan Hill
said.
Hill said while Paris Texas
was in regular business, college
students were the main customers.
However, when construction started to create a new sidewalk on Bay and Holly Streets,
this became bad for business.
The construction took longer
than expected and by the time it
was over it was too late.
“There was hardly even a
walkway for people to get in our
store,” Hill said. “People kind of
forgot we were even there.”
The Downtown Bellingham
Partnership knows that empty
store windows are not appealing
to residents or tourists.
Therefore, they started a
project where they place local
artist's work in the vacated windows, such as in True Blue Bou-
photo by Hailey Tucker | WF
Heather Fenstermaker, owner of the former Swell clothing shop located in downtown Bellingham, finishes packing the remains of her store in order to remove herself from the building lease. "Its bittersweet," Fenstermaker
said. "It's really happy because it's good for my personal life, but it's sad because it's like my child."
tique.
The work, which is shown
in windows and includes artist
biographies, is occasionally for
sale.
Payne attributed store closures partly to competition with
larger chain stores.
“Right now it is just hard
to find that niche in the market where people are willing to
spend their money,” Payne said.
­Sharon Quast, owner of
Etta’s Attic Antiques and Collectibles on Prospect Street, took
over Cameo Shoe Shoppe’s lease
in May after it had been open for
less than a year.
Although this is Quast’s first
store, she has more than 10 years
of business experience running
antique booths in fairs.
Quast keeps business affordable by offering layaway,
where customers can put items
they want to buy aside for a
small down payment.
Quast said she took a leap of
faith by opening a business during a recession.
“I have found that experience and customer service help
business,” Quast said. “It is important to be nice and helpful
with customers to keep business
going.”
NEWS |
westernfrontonline.net | Tuesday • January 12, 2010
5
Lummi art gallery opens downtown
Visitors to Lummi
reservation
prompted owners
to start business
Ruth Higgins | WF
With a ceremonious blessing on Sunday, Bellingham's first Lummi art gallery
opened.
The CederWorks Aft Gallery gives
visitors a quick and easy introduction to
an array of Lummi art.
Jack Cagey, an elder of the Lummi
Nation and board member of the Lummi
Nation Service Organization, conducted
the blessing with his wife, Beverly. His
traditional blessing ritual called on the
Great Spirit for the protection and wellbeing of tribal members and community
residents present, as well as all the artwork. He circled the two-room space, tapping his small hand drum while Beverly
whisked her cedar boughs and shook her
deer-horn rattles.
“Artwork is from the heart of our
people,” said Cagey, dressed in a brightly
decorated black tunic he designed.
The gallery was made possible by a
grant from the Northwest Area Foundation Ventures Program, said Kurt Russo,
as sourcing specialist for the Lummi Ventures Community Project, a division of the
Lummi Indian Business Council.
The Ventures Project is a community-led project dedicated to providing pathways out of poverty and into prosperity
for the whole Lummi people, according
to the council’s Web site. Working with
council member Candice Wilson, other
tribal members and community partners,
Russo obtained the $6 million matchingfund grant.
“This gallery is a small window into
our lives and our art,” Wilson said.
The gallery is a pilot project for the
tribe’s Gateway Center, now planned for
construction on Slater Road in early 2011.
“The center will be an anchor and
asset of the economic development plan
that will be open this time next year,” said
Kathy Pierre, executive director of the
Ventures Community Partnership.
In addition to being a gallery and stu-
photos by Jon Bergman | WF
photo by Jordan Stead | WF
Mike Thomas, a Lummi Nation board member and tribal artist, greets a community member at the door to CedarWorks. Thomas, in addition
to a new totem pole present at the gallery, carved the totem just inside the wooden foyer in the Western Library, under the skybridge.
dio, the center plans call for a fresh fish
market, gift shop and a small business incubator with classrooms to offer training
to budding entrepreneurs. The current intent is to keep the CedarWorks Art Gallery
location in downtown Bellingham.
"This gallery is a small window
into our lives and our art."
Candice Wilson,
Lummi Indian Business
Council member
Russo, who has worked in various positions in the Lummi Nation since
1979, has been deeply involved with the
development of the gallery.
“This is one-stop shopping for Lummi art,” said Shasta Cano-Martin, a poet,
songwriter and singer who is president of
the Lummi Cultural Arts Association, un-
der whose management the gallery functions.
The single site is something visitors
had pleaded for when visiting the reservation looking for native art, Cano-Martin
said.
Cano-Martin credited the gallery
manager, Michael A. Thomas, with conceiving the gallery plan, managing the
gallery and determining that contributors
meet artistic standards and Lummi kinship
links. New works come in almost daily.
One piece in the gallery is Dale James’
14-foot cedar totem. A smaller James totem, “Thunderbird, Bear and Steelhead,”
graces the rotunda of Western’s Haggard
Hall library. Recognizing James’ reputation in the Lummi community, that pole
was procured in 1996 by former provost
Roland De Lorme and Vice-President of
Diversity to promote diversity in Western’s art collection.
The gallery is located on 217 W. Holly St.
photos by Jordan Stead| WF
A range of work from local Lummi tribe
members adorned the walls of the CedarWorks gallery, beckoning the shoulder-toshoulder crowd to support local artists.
6 | NEWS
Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
Four decades of journalistic independence
art courtesy of Western's archives
Western Front editor and reporter Bob Burnett documented the Sky River Festival for 13 days and nights. When Burnett laid the story out for
print, his faculty advisor Ted Stannard watched over his shoulder as he carefully placed the "S" in the "Sky River" headline.
40 years of radical newspaper leadership lends to radical news
Julie Franz & Caleb Hutton | WF
F
our decades ago, this newspaper was
in danger of turning into a mouthpiece.
“Those were the militant years of ire
over Vietnam and the Associated Students
wanted "The Western Front" to be the
voice of student government, not a studentrun independent observer and reporter on
campus affairs,” said Ted Stannard, Western Front adviser from 1969 to 1991.
An independent press prevents most
forms of censorship and special interest
encroachments on news, and it allows
freedom of speech to thrive.
Along with fellow Western faculty
Gerson Miller and Peter Steffens, Stannard helped to forge the journalism department, and "The Western Front" was
its backbone.
In 1966, Noel Bourasaw started
working for the paper — then known as
The Collegian — which he immediately
started to reinvent. He proposed the idea
of running stories written by returning
Vietnam veterans. Bourasaw said the yearlong series informed readers of what Vietnam was really like and turned the paper
toward more serious, political reporting.
By the late 1960s, the newspaper’s
staff had dwindled to a small enclave of
student activists who had little interest
in covering campus events as the paper
had done since the turn of the century.
Instead, they ran editorials about the
serious issues of their time: Nixon, Vietnam, drugs, abortion and the role of the
press.
Bourasaw abandoned his position
as editor in chief of the renamed Western
Front in 1968 and went on to a successful
run for AS president. A self-proclaimed
radical, he submitted scathing reviews of
his own presidency to the Front while he
was still in office and addressed the gripes
of students at what were officially called
“Bitch-Ins.”
He was one of many voices calling for
an independent newspaper.
“The trustees were worried that if they
let the student newspaper go independent, it
would become a political organ,” Bourasaw
said. “I tried to explain to [Charles] Flora,
who was president at the time: ‘You’ve got
to throw the students a bone and give us
something simple that we can do on our
own, instead of telling us what to do all the
time. We’re getting tired of that, especially
those of us that were in the war.’ And so
they finally saw the wisdom of it.”
To ensure the paper’s staff or content
would not be influenced by anything but
the makings of an education in journalism,
it took three years and a slew of controversies — many of them fueled by Bourasaw.
But the groundwork was laid. The
Front’s staff continued to push against conformity, and the faculty stood by their students to let their voices be heard.
“I went to Gerson [Miller], who had
just been hired, and I said, ‘Gerson, this editorial I’m doing demands the F word. I’m
going to do it,’” Bourasaw said. “And he
said, ‘Yeah, I guess you probably are.’”
Moving Lines
Early in 1970, the AS and the Front
were in a period of friction. The AS felt it
was their right and the right of students to
choose the editor of the Front because the
paper’s funding came out of the same pool
NEWS |
westernfrontonline.net | Tuesday • January 12, 2010
1976
1907
Journalism becomes its
own department.
Western’s first student paper,
“The Messenger,” goes to print.
Fall 1967 - Gerson Miller hired as first
official journalism faculty member.
Fall 1970 - The Front begins twice weekly pressruns
and makes first sales in downtown Bellingham.
Oct. 10, 1967- The first edition of
Western’s newspaper hits campus with
its new name, “The Western Front.”
Sept. 29, 1970 - Documentation of the Sky
River Rock Festival includes nude photos and
is published on a two-page spread.
1967
1968
1969
Nov. 10, 1967- Noel Bourasaw leaves his
position of editor in chief.
1970
Fall 1969 - Ted Stannard hired as the
second journalism faculty member.
1971
Fall 1972 - Pete Steffens
hired as third journalism
faculty member.
1972
Spring 1970 - The first four
journalism majors graduate.
May 4 - 6, 1970 - Student strikes
against the Vietnam War.
illustration by Sam Vogt | WF
as the AS budget.
In the spring of 1970, the AS board
unanimously decided the Front’s editor in
chief Bob Burnett was “invalid,” but the
official decision to remove him was up to
Western’s publications board.
The front page of The Western Front
on April 28, 1970 read: “The AS Legislature may establish its own publications
board this afternoon in an illegal attempt to
unilaterally govern all student publications
on campus.”
But the controversy received little coverage following a major protest against the
Vietnam War that lasted three days starting
May 4, 1970, when approximately 2,000
activists blocked Interstate 5 and marched
to the Bellingham Federal Building. The
protest was given a full special issue of
coverage, with “STRIKE” written in large
red print on the front page at a time when
the paper was all black and white.
Without the publications board or administration telling him otherwise, Burnett
stayed on as editor in chief until the end of
the quarter.
Charles “Jerry” Flora, president of
Western from 1968 to 1974, said he was
supportive of the Front’s move to become
7
more autonomous.
“I thought a newspaper should be
independent,” Flora said. “I thought
that was a splendid thing actually, but
I don’t think any of the students at that
time realized it.”
When Mike Pinch took over as editor in chief in the fall of 1970, the Front
changed from a weekly newspaper to being published on Tuesday and Friday, as
it remains to this day. The paper also expanded its distribution to downtown Bellingham. And with the official establishment of Western’s journalism department,
the Front transitioned to an independent
newspaper, Stannard said; the hallmarks
of what independence meant, however,
had been around for some time.
“I don’t think any of us ever thought
of the newspaper as being not independent,” Pinch said. “See, Ted Stannard and
Gerson Miller — they were just gracious
defenders of freedom of the press.”
Declaration
In the first fall 1970 issue of the
Front, Burnett returned to the paper as a
reporter and wrote a four-page
article covering Sky River, a
music festival that took place
near Washougal, Wash. The
pictures bordering the centerfold depicted hundreds of naked hippies.
As Burnett was laying
out the page, Ted Stannard stood over his
shoulder.
“The lead photo
at the top of the page
was a facing shot of
a statuesque young
lady in a Pocahontas
pose, clad in only a
headband,” Stannard
said. “But the headline's bold leading “S”
(for Sky River) had been
strategically placed to obscure the most private parts.”
Stannard said he never received a single complaint from the public,
and there was no reprimand from the administration or the president.
“A lot of people got it in their heads
that the administration, whoever it was at
the time, was really bossing the newspaper around,” Flora said. “I just don’t recall that being the case. Hell, we didn’t
have time.”
Still, the photograph
was a statement of
the
paper’s
newfound freedom. It marked the
birth of the publication as it
is known today.
So "The Western Front" was born
into independence as all things are
born: naked.
ARTs &
An engage
to r
8 | Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
Summer may see
B
Ali Le Roy | WF
all gowns and bouquets were on the mind
Sunday, as more than 700 brides-to-be
packed the lobby of the Bellingham Best
Western Lakeway Inn for the Bridal Inspirations
Wedding Expo 2010.
The highlight of the event was the Bridal Inspirations Fashion Show in the Cascade Ballroom.
The room was packed to capacity with spectators lining the walls to see the 145 bride
and bridesmaid dresses in the show.
Alicia’s Bridal Shoppe
and The Formal House
on State Street coordinated the expo. Pam
Needham, owner of Alicia’s Bridal and The
Formal House, said the crowd exceeded her
expectations because online registration was
so low.
Needham said the runway show is one
of the largest of its kind in the Pacific
Northwest.
Western senior Sam Apted attended the event with two of her
bridesmaids. She booked tickets for
the event nearly two months in advance to meet vendors and get ideas for
her wedding on Aug. 14.
Apted will marry her high school sweetheart
of five years in Bellingham. The two grew up in
Spokane together and planned for an August wedding
to avoid the wedding cluster that usually happens in
June in their hometown. The cooler weather of Western Washington, however, makes August one of the most
popular wedding times in the area, Apted said.
“My dad said, ‘you don’t want to get married in June,
but August is the new June here,” Apted said with a laugh
While Apted didn’t sign on with any vendors on Sun
day, she said she will most likely contact some of the
photos by Renee Davies | WF
Nina Chylinski debates different ways to wear her top hat. Chylinski wore a top hat, along with two other girls, during a dance
routine performed at the beginning of the fashion show at the Bellingham Best Western Lakeway Inn on Sunday.
& LiFe
ement
westernfrontonline.net | Tuesday • January 12, 2010
|9
remember
em a long way off,
,’
h.
ne
but in the bridal world it is just around the corner.
vendors she met at the expo to book them for her wedding.
She said it was a good experience and was surprised
to see so many vendors from Bellingham.
Western graduate student Vina Ramos also attended
the event to plan for her wedding in November.
“You only get to come to these events if you or a
friend is getting married,” Ramos said. “So, I figured
I should take advantage of it.”
Ramos didn’t arrive at the expo until shortly before the fashion show began and said she was surprised by how many vendors and people were in
attendance. Ramos heard about the event from her
wedding coordinator. She went to see the fashion show
even though she had found a dress she liked before attending the expo.
“For me, it was to make sure my dress was the one,”
Ramos said.
The event, which ran from noon to 5 p.m., included more than 50 local vendors covering nearly
every aspect of a wedding.
Vendors set up tables throughout the hotel for brides to sample wines and cakes,
meet with wedding coordinators and representatives from local venues, and
get their hair professionally styled
to test hairdos for the big day.
Many of the vendors
offered discounted prices
for brides who booked for
their wedding at the expo.
The expo also included
prize drawings and seminars on DJ
selections, wedding planning, wine selection
and ordering wedding attire.
In the “Crafting the Perfect Fete!” seminar by BB Jean
Events, brides were provided with a list of top-ten tips for
planning the perfect day.
A portion of the profits from the expo benefit Soroptimist International of Bellingham, a nonprofit that improves
the lives of women and children in the area.
Top-ten tips for planning the perfect day
1.
Take some time for just you and your
fiancé to talk about what YOU want for
YOUR big day
2.
Find ways to comfortably incorporate
families so they can be involved but not
take over the day
3.
Start interviewing coordinators to find
the right one to help pull things together
4.
A little décor goes a long way
5.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate price if it’s
the right vendor but the wrong price
6.
Begin searching for your gown seven to
nine months in advance
7.
Take a few nights off from planning
8.
Don’t forget to plan for closure
9.
When time grows short, use your
coordinator!
10. When the big day arrives relax, breathe
and try to let the little things go
illustration by Annika Volkmann | WF
tips courtesy of BB Jean Events
10 | ARTS & LIFE
On to Plan B
Plan B
Saloon
Wed: Free open mic
Thurs: Disc jockeys
Fri: Live music, $2
Sat: Live music, $2
Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
Former Rogue Hero employees take the
party down the street
Sarah Richardson | WF
The late Rogue Hero was a "Plan A" for many Bellinghamsters' late-night fun. Less than a month after its
December closing, Bellingham bar hoppers now have a
“Plan B.”
New bar and live music venue Plan B Saloon
opened its doors on New Year’s Eve at 1212 N. State St.
Three of the owners of Plan B, Shon “Bucketz” Shamley, Moses Magnes and Travers Romann, are former
employees of the Rogue.
“We did this to get away from the Rogue,” said
Shamley, the music and events coordinator for Plan B.
“It’s nice to work for yourself and not have someone
tell you what to do when you know how to do it better
than them.”
Shamley said Plan B is meant to be a music venue
for local bands and a hangout for the former Rogue
crowd and Western students alike.
Shamley said he learned a lot from his time at the
Rogue, but he wanted to run Plan B differently and on
his own terms. He didn’t want people to come in and
expect Plan B to be just as the Rogue had been.
The owners want to be their own entity apart from
the Rogue, but Western senior Ryan Macartney, 22, said
he has seen some of the old Rogue crowd standing outside Plan B. He said he wondered if Plan B would become the new Rogue.
“Everyone wants to go check it out, I guess,” Ma-
cartney said.
Shamley said he wants to get out from under the
Rogue’s shadow. He said he wants patrons to judge
Plan B on its own merits and not base it on their experiences at the Rogue.
The Plan B owners said they hope for a better run
at the location.
“We have all worked at the Rogue and other bars,
but when Plan A doesn’t work, then it’s on to Plan B,”
Shamley said.
The Plan B owners said the bar is a little of what
they learned from the Rogue, mixed with what they
liked about The Factory and what they’ve learned from
the mistakes of the Callaloo Caribbean Kitchen and the
Back Porch Alley.
Magnes and Shamley agreed that the relaxed nature
of The Factory is what they want to embody.
Shamley said he hopes it’s the music that will draw
the crowd.
“Two bucks, two bands,” he said.
Shamley said five years booking bands for the
Rogue has given him an edge for booking shows at
Plan B. He said he has established a good rapport with a
number of bands in the area.
Shamley said Plan B saw about 300 people on Friday night and he’s excited for the word to get out about
their venue. He said the year promises a full line-up of
bands on Friday and Saturday nights.
“I know all the bands in town,” Shamley said.
The backstory
photo by Renee Davies | WF
Plan B Saloon customers sit at the bar, mingle and gather up
front to hear live music Friday night.
Plan B’s location has been home to three other bars in recent years. The latest,
Back Porch Alley, offered southern cooking and jazz music, but stayed open fewer
than six months. Prior to that, the Callaloo served up Caribbean food and reggae
music. The Callaloo briefly changed ownership to stay afloat, but ultimately had to
close its doors as well. The Factory bar occupied the lot prior to the Callaloo, providing
Bellingham with rock music before closing in 2005 after the owner died.
ARTS & LIFE |
westernfrontonline.net | Tuesday • January 12, 2010
11
Keeping it real in the
age
photos by Jordan Stead | WF
Eagles Games, Models & Miniatures
has remained successful
throughout the advent and rise of
the video game industry
Store owner Stacy Bloch shows off some of his Warhammer 40,000 miniatures Monday.
Andrew Cederlind | WF
The small, gray corner store on West Holly and Bay
Street may seem fairly plain, but inside it is a different
story. Games are stacked to the ceiling, and miniature
models of everything from airplanes to mythical creatures
are arranged on every shelf, helping to create the unique
experience of Eagles Games, Models & Miniatures.
Eagles is a hobby store that was started in 1987 by
Stacy Bloch. Bloch said he is there to keep games and
models alive—both things he enjoys.
He said his sales experienced a downward turn in the
early part of the recession. However, in the past year he
said the economic depression has increased sales. He believes this is because the public’s ideas of entertainment
have changed.
“People have started to realize the value of games,”
Bloch explained. “You could drop $30 on going to a movie that lasts two hours, or you could spend $30 on a game
and play it for months.”
Board games make up more than 90 percent of everything he sells. Bloch said his sales aren’t affected by the
video game industry.
“Almost all of my customers play video games,”
he said. “There isn’t much competition because playing
board games is a lot more social, you can actually see the
person you are playing against.”
Western junior Taylor Smith said he played Warhammer 40,000, a miniature-based strategy game, for three
years.
Smith said he originally got into the game because
some of his friends were playing, and he got hooked.
“The best thing about miniatures is the creativity and
personality you can put into it,” he said. “You can design
all of your models however you want to.”
Bloch also said video games such as Warcraft and
Zelda helped legitimize fantasy role-playing games.
“Playing fantasy games used to be very fringe,” he
said. “It was considered a weird thing to do, but with so
many people playing online games that follow that kind
of storyline, it’s no longer that way.”
A unique aspect of Bloch’s store is his gaming room.
He charges $5 a month for unlimited access to the room,
and there gamers can spread out their games. Some, such
as Warhammer 40,000, require tables as large as eight feet
by ten feet in order to play. Bloch said the room is in use
almost every night.
One of the people who frequents Eagles and the gam-
ing room is Cory Wilke. Wilke has been visiting the store
for four years.
“Eagles is great because Stacy really cares about the
gamers,” Wilke said. “I was coming to this store even before I lived in Bellingham. It’s better than a lot of other
stores I’ve seen.”
Bloch said he originally didn’t expect his job to go
much deeper than selling games. Now he describes the
community involvement as the best part of running his
shop.
“I have kids I used to sell to bringing their kids into
the store,” he said. “That is the most satisfying thing about
this job.”
Eagles Games,
Models & Miniatures
221 W. Holly St.
360-671-1913
Open seven
days a week
12
|
opinion
Frontline
Opinions of the Editorial Board
Drug use should not
determine Western's image
A
ccording to the University Police activity log, on Saturday
night a woman was transported
from the Fairhaven Academic
Building to St. Joseph’s Hospital
after consuming hallucinogenic
substances.
Dramatic examples of drug use
such as this are what support the
perception that drug use is common on Western’s campus. However, according to recent data, the
notion that Western runs thick with
illegal substances is inaccurate.
In 2008, the National College
Health Association conducted a
study on Western’s campus dealing
with drug use, mainly the perceptions of drug use versus how often
drugs are actually used by students. For instance, according to
the study, Western students believe
that 98 percent of the student body
consumes alcohol. However, the
study showed 72 percent.
The study puts the perceived level of marijuana use at 90.5 percent.
However, only 25.5 percent of Western students actually use marijuana.
A huge disparity exists between student perception of drug use and its
actual prevelance on campus.
According to the data, what students and their contemporaries at
other universities have heard about
drug use is hearsay. Western should
be talked about because it is a leader in environmental technology and
sustainability thanks to the Vehicle
Research Institute and Huxley College, or because Woodring provides
a nearly 117-year-old education
program. Western has a reputation
for producing quality teachers and
leaders, as well as advancing the
sciences and arts.
Western is much more than
a narrow impression of a campus
covered in a marijuana haze. The
university can demonstrate its true
quality by focusing on the hard
work of students and faculty.
The Editorial Board is comprised of Editor in Chief Nicholas
Johnson, Managing Editor Katie
Greene and Opinion Editor Tristan
Hiegler.
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
Viking Voices
Opinions from around campus
When Gov. Gregoire issues budget
cuts to state universities, what
programs should be cut first?
Compiled by Alana Linderoth
Alyssa Bangs
Freshman
"If Gregoire were going to make budget
cuts at Western, I think it would almost be
better to spread the cuts over everything
at all different areas of the school rather
then just one certain area."
Haley Zervantian
Freshman
"I think the first budget cuts at the college level should be the dining services,
because it's fair and it's broad."
Jessica Burgoyne
Senior
"I think that the liberal studies department, if anything were to be cut, should
be cut because I don't know of a
whole lot of people who use it."
Will Turner
Freshman
"What I think should be cut first by Gregoire is probably maintenance and,
you know, like mowing the lawns."
Ghost hunters scarier than spirits themselves
Jeremy Schwartz | WF Columnist
I have no explanation for it. But nonetheless, most every Tuesday night at 10
p.m. there they are. The Klinge brothers:
two chubby, self-proclaimed paranormal
investigators filling my television screen.
Inexplicably, I find myself tuning to
the Discovery Channel week after week
to indulge in a show called “Ghost Lab,”
which I consider the worst ghost-hunting/
paranormal “reality” show on in prime
time. Never before has such a show simultaneously made me laugh so hard
while making me so frustrated.
Fortunately, the viewing public has
the chance for a temporary reprieve from
this particular brand of paranormal inanity
during the show’s winter hiatus. However, a poll conducted in December showed
an increasing number of people may be
watching “Ghost Lab” when new episodes eventually return to the Discovery
Channel.
The Pew Research Center’s Forum
on Religion and Public Life conducted
the poll as part of a larger survey on how
people’s religious affiliations and spiritual
beliefs intermingle. When asked whether
they had seen or been in the presence of a
ghost, 18 percent of the respondents answered “Yes.” That proportion has doubled since 1996. While 18 percent may
not seem like a large number, the two-fold
increase in the last 13 years shows just
how popular belief in the supernatural has
become in the last decade.
“Ghost Lab” is one of the most recent
of a furiously clenched handful of ghosthunting shows currently polluting the airwaves. While all these shows have their
different methods of seeking out paranormal activity, they all share one attribute
in common: an absolute disregard for science and critical thinking.
The trend started in earnest with the
laughable Travel Channel series “Most
Haunted,” which premiered
in 2002. “Most Haunted” follows a team of British paranormal investigators as they
scurry about the United Kingdom’s allegedly most haunted
locales talking to the darkness
and generally making fools
of themselves. The “Most
Haunted” star dimmed a bit in
2005 when two hosts of the show
were accused of faking ghostly happenings for the cameras. According to
an article from the British Broadcasting Corporation, the hosts were cleared
of any wrongdoing when a British
communications regulator christened
“Most Haunted” as entertainment-only
and not to be taken seriously.
In 2004, the “SyFy” Channel aired
the first episode of “Ghost Hunters,”
which has perhaps become the most
successful of any ghost-hunting show
on television. “Ghost Hunters” follows the exploits of plumbersturned-paranormal-investigators
Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson
and their team as they come to the aid
of people who allege ghosts are infesting their homes. The show has proved so
successful that 2009 saw the premiere of
“Ghost Hunters Academy,” in which five
ghost-hunters-in-training vied for coveted
spots on the ghost hunting team. The last
episode of the first season of “Academy”
hinted that a second season of the show is
in the works.
But the especially atrocious disservice “Ghost Lab” does to science makes
the show stand out in this collection of ludicrous ghost-hunting shows. The Klinge
brothers, Brad and Barry, start every
episode with the statement that
their group uses science to investigate
Cartoon by Annika Volkmann | WF
claims of the paranormal. This so-called
use of science involves formulating theories and designing tests for those theories
on the spot.
But what the Klinge brothers fail to
do every single time is eliminate all other
non-paranormal explanations for the alleged ghostly activity they capture on
their video cameras and audio recorders.
Real science works through meticulous
experimentation that is designed to show
a given hypothesis to be false. If the hypothesis holds fast through the testing
phase, then the scientists involved begin
to think the hypothesis may accurately describe a small piece of the way the world
works.
The Klinge brothers take the opposite
approach. They go into an investigation
with the assumption that ghosts exist and
“test” for paranormal activity using methods designed to support their assumptions.
Any experiences they have that are not
immediately explainable are immediately
chalked up to paranormal activity. Most
every unexplained noise becomes a specter stalking the two rotund investigators.
With the new year only 12 days old, I
hope 2010 will bring some semblance of
critical thinking to the plethora of ghosthunting shows that will undoubtedly find
their way onto thousands of TV screens
across America. But if “Ghost Lab” is
representative of the newest crop of such
shows, I won’t be holding my breath.
Jeremy Schwartz is a Western senior
majoring in news/editorial journalism
and pursuing Latin and philosophy minors. Contact Jeremy at [email protected].
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
sports | 13
Conference contenders clash
Women take conference lead with
win against nationally ranked team
Paul Wright | WF
The Western women’s basketball
team defeated the University of AlaskaAnchorage Seawolves 78-58 to take sole
possession of first place atop the Great
Northwest Athletic Conference Jan. 9 at
Carver Gym.
After a 92-46 win against the Alaska
Fairbanks Nanooks in their conference
opener Jan. 7, the Vikings entered Saturday’s game against a more formidable
Seawolves team.
The Seawolves were 11-1 on the season with a 1-0 in GNAC conference record and ranked No. 8 by USA TODAY/
ESPN Division II Top 25 women’s basketball poll.
In a hard fought game, the Vikings
scratched, clawed and wrestled a win
against last year’s GNAC champions.
The win was also Western women’s basketball’s first win against a top-ten ranked
team since 2000. The win extends the Vikings' home winning streak this season to
seven games at Haggen Court.
“The win was huge ­­if we can beat
Anchorage we can beat anyone,” Western
senior guard Ashley Fenimore said.
The game was physical from the
opening whistle, with players for both
teams sprawling for every loose ball and
fighting for every rebound.
“This was by far the most physical
game of the season. But we knew that
going in,” Western junior guard Megan
Pinske said.
The Vikings took an early lead, with
Western senior forward Willow Cabe
scoring all of the Vikings’ first eight
points. The Seawolves cut the lead down
to as few as two.
With the score at 14-10 Vikings, the
offense for the Vikings went to work by
scoring eight unanswered points. By the
end of the first half, the Vikings had a 3825 lead. Head coach Carmen Dolfo said
she was pleased by the strong start.
The start of the second half began
with Western starting forward Jessica
Summers hitting a three, and from there
the Vikings went on an 8-2 run and never
looked back. At the 14:47 mark of the
second half the Vikings held a 54-30 lead,
their largest of the game.
While the play on the court continued to be rough, the Vikings’ offense was
simply too much for the Seawolves. The
Vikings continued their assault and won
by a final score of 78-58.
Fenimore led all scorers with 17,
along with a game-high five assists. Cabe
chipped in 16 points and Summers added
15 points along with a game-high 11 rebounds.
The five starters combined to account
for 63 of the Vikings’ 78 total points.
“It was a good win over last year’s
GNAC champion,” Dolfo said.
Senior backup center Krystal Robinson led all bench scorers with seven
points, going 3-4 from the field, 1-2
from the free-throw line, along with two
blocked shots in 14 minutes off of the
bench.
The Vikings shot 54 percent from the
field, 44 percent from behind the 3-point
line, and 90 percent from the free throw
line.
The Vikings head out onto the road
for the next three games, with a visit to
Western Oregon University on Jan. 14,
followed by a trip to Saint Martin’s University and Central Washington University before returning home to face Seattle
Pacific University on Jan. 23.
The Vikings now stand at 11-2 on the
season, and 2-0 in the GNAC standings.
“We feel we can only rise from here,”
Pinske said.
SEE A SLIDESHOW OF THE GAME ONLINE
www.westernfrontonline.net
photo by Brett Flora | WF
Sophomore forward Kristin Schramm struggles for a loose ball in the Vikings' 78-58 win Jan 9.
Player of the Game:
Upcoming Women's schedule:
Senior guard # 23 Ashley Fenimore
1/14 - at Western Oregon •17 points
•5 assists
•4 steals
•3-6 on 3-point attempts
1/16 - at Saint Martin's (6-10 overall, 1-1 in GNAC)
(6-7 overall, 1-1 in GNAC)
1/21 - at Central Washington
photo by Brett Flora | WF
Senior Ashley Fenimore dribbles up the court Jan. 9.
(4-8 overall, 1-1 in GNAC)
14 | sports
Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
Passing
the glory
National, conference award-winner would
rather set up teammates to score than himself
later got involved with his first team as a third-grader and
has been playing ever since.
The Western men’s basketball team has started
Head coach Brad Jackson, who has watched Anderwith an impressive 14-2 overall record, and with
son gain confidence and improve on the court during the
the team heading into an important stretch of conpast year, said Anderson is complete as a player. He can
ference games, a great deal of attention is being foshoot, pass, has tremendous composure and a strong work
cused on senior point guard Morris Anderson.
ethic. Jackson said Anderson has worked on becoming a
But Anderson, who received honorable menmore aggressive shooter. Earlier in the season he broke
tion in the Sporting News 2009-10 Preseason NaWestern’s record for consecutive free throws.
tional Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
“He has a great sense of what is going on in the game
Division II All-American Team, still remains more
and what needs to happen to be successful,” Jackson said.
focused on the team than on him“The biggest thing with
self.
him is his ability to bring
“The biggest thing
Anderson was not on the comout the best in his teamwith him is his ability to
mon Western student’s radar until
mates. He takes as much
last year when he transferred from
bring out the best in his pleasure in others scoring
Highline Community College.
as he does [himself].”
teammates.”
But he has quickly become one
Senior guard Derrick
of the team’s best assets and was
Webb, who has known
Brad Jackson,
named Great Northwest Athletic
Anderson for almost five
Men's basketball head coach
Conference Newcomer of the Year
years, and attended school
last season.
and played on the basketThis season, which has alball team with him at Highready included a 12-game win streak for the Viline, said Anderson is a team-first player who is not at all
kings, Anderson has continued his consistent play
selfish.
and has been recently named GNAC Player of the
Anderson considers making assists one of his favorite
Week for Dec. 27-Jan. 2.
aspects of the game because it is not just about one player
The oldest of nine half siblings, Anderson fell
being successful. He leads the team with an average of 4.7
in love with basketball at the young age of two
assists per game, with a total of 75 assists compared to the
when his parents, who both played basketball in
next highest total of 34.
high school, set up a miniature hoop for him. He
“I like to get the team involved,” Anderson said. “It’s
Marianne Graff | WF
photo by Katie Greene | WF
Anderson loves to assist teammates, but he is still a threat to score.
Anderson has the second highest scoring average on the team at
13 points per game and has hit the most 3-pointers.
Sports
westernfrontonline.net | Tuesday • January 12, 2010
fun making a good play and setting your teammate up to
score.”
Anderson still averages 13.1 points per game, the second
highest scoring average on the team, as well as making the
most 3-pointers, with 36 so far this season.
Anderson is ranked ninth nationally among NCAA Division II leaders in free throws through Jan. 3, shooting 91
percent from the line. He also ranks 19th nationally in steals,
with an average of 2.6 per game, according to the NCAA.
Anderson’s total of 41 steals triple the second highest number of steals by a player on the team.
At first glance, Anderson comes off as quiet and shy, not
the type of person who would walk onto the court of a dunk
contest wearing novelty sunglasses, with lenses covered in
stripes, but that is exactly what he did earlier in the season as a
way to get the crowd pumped up at the Viking Jam.
“Most people don’t get to see his funny side,” Webb
said, as he recalled the dunk contest. “He can really lighten
the mood. There is a time to be serious and a time to have
fun, and we have a good balance of both.”
Because of Anderson’s consistency and laid-back attitude,
Jackson does not foresee Anderson crumbling under stress.
“He really enjoys the challenge a tough game presents,”
Jackson said. “I’m not sure pressure is an issue.”
Anderson, who is majoring in general studies, said the
part of his schedule he considers the hardest is not the practices or games, but staying on top of academics. He usually
spends two to three hours practicing each day, with the exception of Sunday, his day off. With two games almost every
week, Anderson said it is important to stay focused.
With a recent 94-86 loss to Saint Martin’s Jan. 7 putting
an end to the team’s 12-game winning streak and a 93-60 win
over Western Oregon University Jan. 9, the team has an even
1-1 record in conference games.
With difficult opponents upcoming such 10-2 AlaskaAnchorage and 11-2 Seattle Pacific, Anderson said the team
will just have to go out and make a statement to the other
teams in their conference.
As for future plans, Anderson hopes to play professionally after college. For him, it does not come down to a favorite team he wants to play for, but to the game itself.
“It doesn’t really matter where yet,” Anderson said. “I
just want to play.”
| 15
Men's Recap
14-2 overall
1-1 in GNAC
January 9th:
Win, 93-60 against
Western Oregon
(7-6, 0-2 in GNAC)
Top Performers:
Derrick Webb: 21 points Morris Anderson:
20 points
This week:
1/14 - home against
Alaska-Anchorage
(10-2, 1-0 in GNAC)
photo by Katie Greene | WF
Anderson may be under a spotlight both in conference and nationally, but
making assists to his teammates is his favorite part of the game of basketball. Anderson leads the team with 75 assists on the season, just under 5
per game.
1/16 - home against
Alaska-Fairbanks
(5-5, 0-1 in GNAC)
16 | sports
Tuesday • January 12, 2010 | The Western Front
Track warms up for title run
Returning national champion, record holders, All-Americans among athletes to watch
Andrea Farrell | WF
It was foggy and just starting to drizzle when a group of athletes from Western’s track and field team jogged out to
the track for their team practice. Here, the
team begins a season that they expect to
be filled with championships, both individually and as a team.
The indoor portion of the season of
track and field has begun and athletes are
practicing five days a week to prepare
for the team’s first meet, which will take
place at the indoor track at the University
of Washington on Jan. 16.
Head coach Kelven “Pee Wee” Halsell said the team’s biggest goals for the
year include team victories at the Great
Northwest Athletic Conference indoor
and outdoor conference championships as
well as improved personal records. Last
year’s outdoor conference championships
in Oregon were canceled due to swine flu
outbreaks.
This year the team plans to make its
outdoor season, which begins on March 6,
a top priority.
“We want to do the best we can and
get people qualified for conference championships,” Halsell said. “We’ve lost
some valuable players but gained others—we’ve got new and old.”
According to Halsell it is inevitable that
more freshman than seniors will be part of
the team at any given time, because of the
large size of the team and way that college
teams tend to lose students each year.
In women’s distance Halsell identified junior Sarah Porter as a star, having
won second place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II
Cross Country Championships last November. Another top returner is Lauren
Breihof, who finished 31st overall in last
November’s Cross County Championships with an All-American time. Ellie
Siler, a sophomore sprinter and returning
All-American, is another player to watch.
In the men’s distance category, junior
Jordan Welling is a two-time All-American in cross country who Halsell said will
be a big contributor this season.
Female jumpers include sophomore
Emily Warman, who became Western’s
first national indoor champion last year.
“Warman is a real threat with the triple jump and long jump. She’ll be our top
horizontal jumper this year,” Halsell said.
Halsell said that his mission as a
coach is to help his team reach the goals
they set for themselves.
“It’s fun to help student athletes run
fast, throw far and jump high,” Halsell said.
Western junior Ryan Brown, who
pole-vaulted with the team his freshman
and sophomore seasons, is another star returning to the team this season.
Brown said his goals for the season
is to break his impressive height of 16 feet
and seven inches, a Western record that
earned him the NCAA Division II West
Region Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the
Year in 2009. Brown said he enjoys track
for many reasons, but is especially thank-
photo by Renee Davies | WF
Track head coach Kelven "Pee Wee" Halsell (front right) watches the team as they warm up
for practice. The team's first meet will be held Jan. 16 at the University of Washington.
ful for the coaching.
“It’s cool that the coaches here are
mostly volunteer-based because it means
people are doing it because they’re dedicated to the team,” Brown said.
One of these dedicated individuals is
Ben Stensland, a strength coach who is
working this year to implement a strengthtraining program for hurdlers and sprinters, which he expects will help the athletes
increase their speeds.
Stensland said there is a high correlation between strength and speed. This
means the four weekly strength training
sessions he gives each person on his team
should make them faster, not just increase
their muscle size.
Western junior hurdler Phillip Villanueva and other players on the team said
they enjoy the way track and field combines the best parts of team and individual
sports.
“I like the team camaraderie,” Villanueva said. “We all push each other, and
we’re all friends. The individual aspect is
good too, but if you don’t like your teammates you aren’t going to have any fun,
and that’s what it’s all about.”