issue 6
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Volume 19, Issue 6TRANSCRIPT
Honoring our veterans
Washington State University Vancouver
November 9, 2012 Issue 6 · Volume 19 FIRST COPY FREEPictured above: Air Force Airman First Class Brandon Graser
WSU Vancouver junior in mechanical engineering
U.S. military veteran Ian Boyd and his wife are expecting a miracle: triplets. But miracles don’t always come easy. Boyd’s wife has been hos-pitalized for a high risk pregnancy and will remain there until delivery — expected sometime in January.
Boyd, a full-time student at WSU Vancouver, zooms back and forth from her bedside in Portland to attend classes. He is “stressed to the max” according to VetCorps representative Steven Roberts.
The Boyd’s have no local family support — but they do have Cougs! Show your Cougar spirit — and your appreciation of our veterans — by showering the Boyds with baby diapers, wipes, bottles, blankets, one-sies, booties and other items for their little miracles. Leave items with Steve Roberts, VetCorps representative, Library building, Room 204.
By CYNDIE MEYER The VanCougar
Steve Roberts is on a mission to make sure every veteran on the Washington State University Van-couver campus feels welcome, secure and appreciated. Roberts is the VetCorps representative for WSU Vancouver and is a U.S. Army combat veteran who served his country for eight years — the last two in Iraq. He took over as the VetCorps rep for the Vancou-ver campus this fall and is already creating a wave of change.
“The veterans on this cam-pus, as on every campus, deserve nothing but the best of what their school can provide. After all, these schools are built on ground that at some point was fought for by veterans. We owe it to them, and if we fail them it is the worst type of injustice,” Roberts said.
Roberts is a WSU Vancouver senior majoring in personnel psychology and human resource management with a minor in business administration and a certificate in human services case management and administration. He was the driving force behind the flag display on campus in honor of Veterans Day and he or-ganized the campus card-signing event. But, his plans for connect-ing veterans to campus go further than that.
Roberts is focusing on three key areas he hopes will send a message to vets and improve
their college experience: Creat-ing a veteran-friendly campus, improving information exchange with veterans and streamlining the link to veteran services.
Starting with the online portal to campus, Roberts points out a lack of representation of veterans in the photographs on the cam-pus webpage.
He would like to see at least one picture of someone with a military backpack to signal that WSU Vancouver is vet-friendly. He demonstrates how difficult it is for vets to find the link to vet-eran services in the campus web the directory. He has been work-ing with the the office of student affairs to update the veterans’ webpage and make it more user-friendly.
Roberts said it is also difficult for vets to eas-ily access vet-eran-specific information on campus. He hopes to r e m e d y i n g this by install-ing dedicated veterans bul-letin boards and infor-mation ki-osks later this year. He also worked with v o l u n t e e r s from the
WSU Vancouver Psychology Club to create three A-frame signs featuring colorful military images to promote vet-specific messaging on campus.
One of Roberts primary con-cerns is the lack of a “safe space” on campus for vets to relax, study and socialize with one another. Roberts would like to see this change for the 210 vets who attend school here.
“On our campus, vets go sit in their cars because they don’t think there is a safe place for them to be,” Roberts said.
Although he recognizes that every vet is different, Roberts explains that, for many, returning to civilian life can provoke anx-iety. After being on guard in the
PHOTO | Steve Roberts , VetCorps representative
PHOTO |VetCorps representative, Steve Roberts, lined the walkways around campus with more than 200 miniature flags in honor of Veterans Day
Man on a mission: VetCorps representative, Steve Roberts, wants to make campus more vet-friendly
Lend a Coug a helping hand
See ‘Veterans’ on page 8
Washington State University Vancouver
2 CAMPUS NEWS
Two new books published by WSU Vancouver professors By MARGARITA TOPAL The VanCougar
Books written by two WSU Vancouver professors were pub-lished this fall.
Oxford University Press published the work of Bonnie Hewlett, a visiting professor in the WSU Vancouver department of anthropology. Her book, “Listen, Here is a Story: Ethno-graphic Life Narratives from Aka and Ngandu Women of the Congo Basin” tells of four Aka and Ngandu Women living in the Congo Basin.
Claire Latham, WSU Van-couver professor of accounting, co-authored a book, “Computer-ized Accounting Using Microsoft Dynamics,” published by Armond Dalton Publishers, Inc. Latham’s upper division textbook explains how to gather and evaluate finan-cial information and accurately present it in financial statements.
Both authors were inspired to write because of experiences they had in college.
‘Listen: Here is a Story’Hewlett discovered her in-
terest in anthropology when she returned to college after 10 years working as a registered nurse in newborn intensive care. Follow-ing her first anthropology class, she switched her focus to medical anthropology, combining her knowledge in medicine with her
new-found passion. Hewlett read “Nisa: The Life
and Words of a !Kung Woman,” an ethnographic study of a woman who lives in the Dobe region of the Kalahari Desert.
“I fell in love with the book. The author, Marjorie Shostak, went there, talked to Nisa, and lived with the !Kung. It was wonderful. I knew that I wanted to do that.”
For 10 years, Hewlett worked with both Ngandu and Aka ado-lescents. Aka, a group of pygmy hunter-gatherers, live in associa-tion with Ngandu farmers in the Central African Republic. She studied the health and emotional development of the adolescents and became acquainted with their extended families. One day, the mothers of the Ngandu teens approached her.
“They said, ‘Okay, that’s enough working with our kids. You need to talk to us. We have some things we want to tell you,’” Hewlett said.
The women talked about health issues and spousal abuse.
“One woman had a black eye and a missing tooth,” Hewlett said. “They wanted to ask me what they could do and whether Amer-ican women have these same issues. They came with health questions as well.”
The book evolved from there.
“When the Aka women heard I was going to work with Ngandu
women, they said, ‘you have to listen
to us, too’,” Hewlett said. Starting with a group of 16
women, Hewlett narrowed her focus to two Aka women and two Ngandu women
“Some of the topics were very private. They were more willing to share because they knew I was there, had been there and would come back,” Hewlett said.
The women, especially the
older women, were happy about the book and the idea that others could learn from them, Hewlett said.
Although Hewlett did not originally write the book specifi-cally for students, she ultimately saw it as an opportunity to teach about anthropology field work.
“I included terms, theory, field notes and what it was like for me as a woman and as an anthropol-ogist to be there,” Hewlett said.
Hewlett said her book may be used to teach developmental psy-chology, anthropology, globaliza-tion and gender studies courses. Hewlett has advice for students who think they may be interested in field research.
“Read as much as you can, talk to the researchers who have been there, look at their research to help you decide what you are most interested in. If you are still passionate about it, then I think it’s great to experience it yourself,” Hewlett said.
Hewlett plans to continue teaching at WSU Vancouver and will continue her yearly visits to the Central African Republic to conduct research on adolescent social learning and innovation. She and her husband, Barry Hewlett, professor of anthro-pology at WSU Vancouver, also travel annually to Ethiopia to conduct research.
“I love anthropology because it gives you an opportunity to live with, learn about and learn from amazing people around the world. I love that part.” Hewlett said. “I feel really, really lucky. It is hard work, but I feel I do have the dream job. Working with these people is wonderful.”
Hewlett will use the book in her gender class next semester. It is available at the Bookie or online through Oxford.com or Amazon.com.
“There is so much we can learn from other people about our culture and about ourselves,” Hewlett said. “I hope that is the mindset people have opening this book.”
‘Computerized Account-ing: Microsoft Dynamics’
Thirty years ago, Claire Latham sat in a college class about financial au-diting, listening eagerly as the professor espoused the teaching approach of Al Arens, a professor from Michigan State University and a friend of Latham’s, who believed students need a practical component beyond the textbook.
“I think [having practical experi- ence] contributed to my success in the auditing field before I became a professor,” Latham said.
Latham explained that her friend, Arens and his colleague, Dewey Ward, started a small company to pro-vide students with an accounting system that looked like what was happening in the real business world. Their product became a best-selling teaching aid, and approximately 12 years ago, their book was expanded to incorpo-rate a computer-based version.
“It was an American small business success story that I just adore,” Latham said.
When Arens passed away last year, the company asked Latham to co-author the book he had been writing.
“Thirty years after being enthralled by this professor at Michigan State, I am now a co-author with him. That is a dream come true for me,” Latham said. “I worked on [the book] all summer and so far, it’s been great. The students are working with it and it’s an amazing product that allows them to not only get ex-perience but understand internal control in the company.”
Latham created and developed the chapters, problem sets, ques-tions and solutions found in the book. She said it gives students the chance to practice working with real world examples.
“That’s why I am so excited
about it,” she said. “It
was a very in-
vigorating experience.
It made me think how I would present [the material] in the classroom. By the time our students graduate, they’ve worked with real companies and they’ve gone out evaluating real systems,” Latham said.
Latham remembers what it felt like to start a professional job without real world experience.
“On my first day on the job, someone asked me to find some-thing…[and I thought], ‘I don’t even know what it looks like’,” La-tham said. “These students don’t have to worry about that. I’d say it gives them a leg up, and they’ve told me that. In fact, students come back and say, ‘Oh, I’m so glad that I did that’.”
Latham implemented the three books, case studies, a ref-erence book and software for the first time this semester.
“It has been wonderful. Stu-dents received a very good level of knowledge that I was hoping we would achieve. It’s exciting,” Latham said. “It is fun to do some hands-on stuff, some active learning.” n
Authors Hewlett and Latham share real world experience
Phot
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WSU
Photo courtesy of Bonnie Hewlett
PHOTO | Professor Hewlett in the Central African Republic.
PHOTO | Professor Claire Latham .
presents
“From the Field to the Page: The Process of Ethnographic Writing”
Speaker: Bonnie Hewlett, WSU Vancouver visiting professor
3 - 4 p.m. Nov. 1Mulitmedia Classroom building Room 1
River Cities Anthropology Society
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Washington State University Vancouver
CAMPUS NEWS
ASWSUV Senate Update
By LUCAS WISEMAN The VanCougar
Leadership conferenceASWSUV will host the
Expand Leadership Conference at 11:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Nov. 30. Chancellor Mel Netzhammer will be the keynote speaker. Lunch will be provided. The conference is intended for both students and community members and will reach out to local high school and community college students. More information may be found at ASWSUV.com.
Travel grants availableA travel grant for undergrad-
uate students has been approved, and there is now a committee and application process for students wishing to access those funds. Forms and information about the application process may be found at ASWSUV.com.
Smoking surveyAs of Oct. 26, 912 students re-
sponded to the ASWSUV survey to about smoking on campus.
Budget updateThe ASWSUV budget has
$28,800 left in the activities fund. Of that, $11,300 is available for use this semester.
Food For ThoughtASWSUV is planning to
double the number of Food for Thought tables available during fi-
nals week. Hot coffee, tea, snacks, blue/green books and scantrons will be available starting at 7:30 a.m. near Library building and in front of the Bookie.
Anthropology eventRiver Cities Anthropological
Society will host the event: “How Rare is Polyandry?” Raymond Hames from University of Nebraska—Lincoln will speak about polyandry, the marriage of one woman to multiple men. The event will be recorded and posted on CougSync.
Campus Food PantryCougs helping Cougs, a food
drive to serve students, was re-launched to refill the campus food pantry shelves. Students experi-encing a problem affording food for themselves or their families due to financial hardship may come to OSI to get items from the food pantry.
Fitness Center RemodelThe Fitness Center will be re-
modeled beginning in November. Students will be able to use the facilities to exercise, but the rest-rooms and some lockers will not be available during construction.
More information about Senate meetings and upcoming events can be found at ASWSUV.com. n
Netzhammer talks zzusisBy TREVOR ELLIOTT The VanCougar
Approximately 100 WSU Vancouver students, faculty and staff gathered on Oct. 22 at the first “Campus Conversation” with Chancellor Mel Netzhammer to air concerns about zzusis, the university’s online student infor-mation system.
The new zzusis system went live last June. Although hyped as an improvement to the prior student information system, zzu-sis has been blamed at all WSU campuses for bungled financial aid processing and complications in student record keeping and class registration.
The forum was attended by WSU Vancouver faculty, staff and students.
The majority of complaints concerned financial aid. Students shared stories about the negative impact this fall’s delay in finan-cial aid has had on their lives. Faculty members raised concerns about poor usability and limited access stemming from security policies instituted on the Pullman campus.
Discussion focused on two
key issues: Will zzusis and finan-cial aid be fixed by next semester, and who to contact with prob-lems and needs for zzusis-related issues.
Netzhammer said determin-ing a chain of command for zzusis problems will be a priority at his next Cabinet meeting.
Viji Murali, vice president of information services and chief information officer for WSU Pull-man, attended the meeting. She blamed the problems with zzusis on two factors.
When the original student information system failed, it required a quicker-than-expected implementation of the new system.
Secondly, the data setup from the old system was incompatible with the new system, forcing a manual conversion of all data. This process was not completed correctly across the board.
In addition, Murali blamed understaffing and inadequate system testing for some of the problems. She said the univer-sity information systems team is doing “everything possible” to fix the system before spring semester begins.
WSU President Elson S. Floyd has funded additional staff to help fix the problem. A full-time consultant from Oracle, the software designer for zzusis, has been employed strictly to test the system.
“If we don’t go home for Christmas, that’s what it is,” Murali said. “We will be working to make sure that as much as possible will be fixed before next semester.”
Murali said the number one priority is to get the student data problem fixed.
Murali noted all complaints and promised to review and ad-dress them in Pullman. A website to collect feedback, concerns and complaints about zzusis is available at inside.vancouver.wsu.edu/. A functional WSU user ID and password are required to ac-cess the web-based form. Murali asked staff and faculty members to notify the information systems department in Pullman via the website regarding security and access needs. n
Website collects feedback on troubled system
Thursday, Nov. 8
t Veterans Day Card Signing 11 a.m. –2 p.m. FSC Free
t Cinetopia Tickets on sale 1 p.m. Cashier’s desk $5, limit two
Friday, Nov. 9
t G6 Airpark 7 – 9 p.m. Sign up in the Rec Office Students $5 Non-students $8
t Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Workshop 9 – 10 a.m. VSSC 101 Free
t Resume Writing Noon – 1 p.m. VFSC 104 Free
t Fine Arts Friday: Video Workshop Noon – 3 p.m. VMMC 103 and 107 Free
Monday, Nov. 12
t Veterans Day Campus closed
Tuesday, Nov. 13
t “From the Field to the Page: The Process of Ethnographic Writing” by Bonnie Hewlett 3 – 4 p.m. VMMC 1 Free
Wednesday, Nov. 14
t Volunteer Fair Noon – 3 p.m. FSC Free
t “From Joyluck Club to Gangnam Style – Asian Pacific Islanders in the Media” 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. VMMC 6 Free
t Interviewing Skills 4 – 5 p.m. VFSC 104 Free
t A-Z of Financial Aid & Scholarships Workshop 7 – 8 p.m. VDEN 110 Free
Thursday, Nov. 15
t Artist Lecture: Jodie Cavalier 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. VMMC 103 Free
t Engineering and Computer Science Information Night 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. VECS 104 Free
t Massive Monkees 7 p.m. FSC Free
Friday, Nov. 16
t Strong Interest Inventory Workshop 9 – 10 a.m. VSSC 101 Free
t Fine Arts Friday: The Camera - Traditional Photography Series Noon – 3 p.m. VMMC 103 and 107 Free
Sunday, Nov. 18
t Source Climbing All Day Sign up in the Rec Office by Nov. 16 Students $5/$10 (with gear) Non-students: $10/$15
Monday, Nov. 19 to Friday, Nov. 23
t Thanksgiving Vacation - No classes (campus closed Thursday and Friday)
Monday, Nov. 26
t Campus blood drive 10 – 4 p.m. FSC
t Science Seminar 3 – 4 p.m. VECS 105 Free
t Maximize Test Performance Workshop 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. VFSC 104 Free
Tuesday, Nov. 26
t Campus blood drive 10 – 4 p.m. FSC
Wednesday, Nov. 28
t A-Z of Financial Aid & Scholarships Workshop 6 – 7 p.m. VDEN 110 Free
Thursday, Nov. 29
t Time and Energy Management Workshop 9 – 10 a.m. VFSC 104 Free
t Resume Writing 4 – 5 p.m. VFSC 104 Free
Friday, Nov. 30
t Intro to White Water Kayaking Pool Session All Day Sign up in the Rec Office by Nov. 28 Students $5 Non-students $10
t Expand Leadership Conference 11:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. FSC Free
t Fine Arts Friday: The Negative - Traditional Photography Series Noon – 3 p.m. VMMC 103 and 107 Free
t Applications for open VanCougar positions due 5 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 1
t Reporter in a Day Workshop 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. VLIB 201 Free
Pre-registration required: Contact vancouged@ vancouver.wsu.edu
CAMPUS EVENTS
Want your event featured here? Email your event information at least two weeks in advance to [email protected]
CORRECTIONSThe last issue of the VanCougar did not credit the author of “Local comedians crack the censors,” an article written by VanCougar reporter Janae Green.
A statement made by Brittany Cooper, assistant professor of human development at WSU, was mis-takenly attributed to Cynthia Cooper, assistant professor of molecular genetics at WSU Vancouver in the article titled “Found in translation: Prevention science moves public health from laboratory toreal world.” We apologize for both errors.
Washington State University Vancouver
4
By MARGARITA TOPAL The VanCougar
Featured speakers at WSU Vancouver’s fall Chancellor’s Sem-inar Series highlighted pivotal political questions that voters in Washington state and across the country decided on Election Day.
David Ammons, communica-tions director and senior policy advisor to Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed, has 37 years of prior experience as a political and state journalist for the Associated Press. Carolyn Long, interim vice chancellor of academic affairs and professor of political science at WSU Vancouver has worked for the WSU Vancouver School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs for more than 17 years.
“This is an amazing year for elections,” Ammons said. “I am truly fascinated by how we self-govern in this country, how we pick our leaders, how we stumble and pick ourselves up and go at it some more.”
Ammon predicted this year’s election will be a “watershed election that we’ll talk about for a long time.”
Washington state will elect a new governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor and will fill three open congres-sional seats.
“We have a governor’s race that is very, very tight,” Aamonns
said. “That’s going to be excep-tionally interesting to watch.”r That’s righ!r Not quite!
Ammons said President Obama is likely to carry the state again, although his margins have been shrinking in the latest state polls and are even tighter nationally.
“It will come down to Ohio,” Ammons said. r That’s righ!r Not quite!Ammons said polls indicate
both gay marriage and marijuana will be legalized in Washington State.
“We probably have the best ballot measures in the country this year — best, most far reach-ing, history-making, whatever adjective you would like to use,” Ammons said. “At this point, polls show both [same-sex marriage and legalized marijuana] passing.”r That’s righ!r Not quite!
Charter schools are also on the ballot for the fourth time and redistricting is playing out for the first time.
Aamons said technology has become a huge part of election administration in Washington state and has successfully moved voter registration online. Three-fourths of the public is registering
to vote in new ways and smart-phone apps help to notify users of election results.
“[Washington state] received [national] attention by teaming with Microsoft and Facebook to create a Facebook app that redirects people from Facebook to voter registration,” Ammons said. “We are continually looking for ways to broaden participation. We want every qualified person to be registered and participating.”
Long predicted that Barack Obama will win re-election. She said voter share attributed to white, working class voters who are most resistant to President Obama is plummeting.
People of color, especially His-panics, are dominating national population growth and they will do so for decades to come, said Long.
“In 2008, the non-white vote for President Obama was 80 percent. He received 96 percent of the black vote and a Hispanic vote of 62 percent. Today, 65 percent of Latinos believe the Demo-cratic Party best represents their interests…It’s also interesting that when asked whom they were going to vote for, they suggested they will vote for President Obama at almost 70 percent,” Long said. “If this is true, then Mitt Romney will likely lose the Latino vote by the largest margin of any Republican candidate
in recent years. The caveat is whether or not Latinos actually choose to vote.”r That’s righ!r Not quite!
Long also said there is an increase in the voter share of college-educated whites.
“The Democratic Party, Obama in particular, has been more successful in getting those votes,” Long said. “Republicans used to have a 20-point advan-tage for college educated whites. That shrank to four points with President Obama in 2008 and it continues shrinking.”r That’s righ!r Not quite!
Long also predicted most Congressional incumbents will be re-elected, the Senate remain-ing Democrat and the House, Republican.r That’s righ!r Not quite!
About the SeriesThe Chancellor’s Seminar
Series was initiated five years ago by Chancellor Emeritus Hal Den-gerink, said Mel Netzhammer, chancellor of WSU Vancouver.
“The exchange of ideas is one of the hallmarks of the university,” said Netzhammer.
Jacob Schmidt, a WSU
Vancouver senior majoring in English, attended the seminar because he wanted to educate himself about the elections.
“I enjoyed Carolyn Long’s bold, straight-out-of-the gate pre-dictions and how she supported them by looking at the changes in voter demographics,” said Schmidt. “I also got a chuckle out of Chancellor Netzhammer’s quip comparing his Q & A moderat-ing abilities to those of Candy Crowley. Attending this event allowed me to have a fully formed perspective on the issues.”
For Schmidt, the most impor-tant election to watch is the state gubernatorial race.
“Both Long and Ammons predict it will be a very tight race, and I think it’s a chance for Washington voters to show that each vote does count,” Schmidt said. “This [race] seems especially important for us college students who are facing record-high tui-tion rates.”
Shyanna Reyes, a junior majoring in business manage-ment, said she enjoyed the event’s atmosphere and the speakers.
“I tend to focus on social issues such as equal rights and a woman’s choice; however, I still fully believe there are many other important issues to discuss such as healthcare, our deficit, etc.,” Reyes said. n
Experts predict election outcome at WSU Vancouver Chancellor’s Seminar SeriesThe fall WSU Vancouver Chancellor’s Seminar Series focused on politcal candidates and the issues that faced voters on Election Day. Now that the results are in, how accurate were their predictions?
Fitness Center shapes up
By KEVIN ALVAREZ The VanCougar
Over the next two months, the men’s and women’s locker rooms in the WSU Vancouver Fitness Center will undergo a $100,000 remodel. Work is expected to begin sometime after Nov. 9 and will be complete by Jan 7. The center will be available for use during the remodel, but there will be no access to the locker rooms during construc-tion.
Both locker rooms will receive similar upgrades. In its current configuration, each locker room is equipped with four shower-heads in a single group space. To provide privacy, and because all four showerheads are seldom used at one time, the existing space will be split into two indi-vidual shower stalls. As a result both women’s and men’s locker rooms will each have three show-ers and an additional shower-head to accomodate people with
disabilities. The locker rooms will also
received new lockers. The current lockers are tall and skinny and do not allow space for gym bags, hanging clothes or recreational equipment such as a basketball. Fewer, wider lockers will maxi-mize storage space.
Most of the center’s cardio equipment is in good condition. Many pieces, such as stationary bikes and treadmills, were up-graded in 2010. All treadmills are currently equipped with televi-sion and cable programming.
WSU Vancouver pays for most of the Fitness Center’s utili-ties such as water and electricity. The remodel is funded by stu-dent-funded Services & Activities fees.
With the exception of a certified fitness trainer, the center primarily employs students, so the money going into the Fitness Center is going back to students, said Michelle McIlvoy, manager of the Office of Student Involve-
ment. “A big philosophy of OSI is
that we will always maximize the amount of student staff we have… [This] is college and it’s a learning experience,” McIlvoy said.
This will be the third time the Fitness Center has been remod-eled since it opened. According to McIlvoy, this remodel is likely to be one of the last planned for the Fitness Center as no addi-tional space or new buildings are planned in the foreseeable future.
Remodels in 2009 and 2010 enlarged the center. When Firstenburg Student Commons opened, the Office of Student In-volvement and ASWSUV moved from the area that is currently occupied by the free weight and group fitness classrooms.
In addition to free weights and cardio-fitness equipment, the center also offers spin, circuit training, Yoga and Zumba classes and private training sessions with a certified personal trainer. All services are free for students. n
New sinks, shower stalls and lockers expected to enhance Fitness Center grooming experience. Center to stay open through construction.
Above: Current lockers and sinks will be replaced as part of thelocker room remodel in the campus Fitness Center.
Photos by Margarita Topal, The VanCougar
CAMPUS NEWS
5
Washington State University Vancouver
By MARGARITA TOPAL The VanCougar
Let’s face it: There are times when students encounter issues with university administration, staff or faculty that they are either unprepared or ill equipped to handle on their own. At most universities, including WSU, stu-dents may enlist the assistance of the university ombudsman. This individual will act as an unbiased and confidential liaison, medi-ating resolutions to problems between the university president, faculty, staff and students.
According to Randy Boose, human resources director for WSU Vancouver, it is the ano-nymity offered to students when they contact the ombudsman that is attractive.
“When staff or students do call [the ombudsman], we are not notified,” Boose said. “That’s the beauty of the ombudsman and why people feel comfortable going to them. The ombudsman comes out of a tradition of giving advice to the king and it’s a way for somebody to have many different options to get their problems resolved.”
Washington State Univer-sity has two ombudsmen, both stationed at the Pullman campus.
WSU urban campuses lack an on-site ombudsman, but the individ-uals who fill this role in Pullman are available to students, staff and faculty at all campuses.
Boose coordinates om-budsman visits to WSU urban campuses each semester. Between visits, the ombudsmen rely on telephone and email communica-tion to resolve issues, Boose said.
“We have access to the ser-vices in Pullman, and a lot of the work they do makes sense to do over the phone anyway. If Pull-man has two [ombudsmen] for all of the state, it wouldn’t even make sense for us to have one,” Boose said.
According to Boose, there is neither the demand nor the fund-ing to justify ombudsman posi-tions on WSU’s urban campuses. The university weighs the cost of adding an ombudsman against the value of having additional staff or faculty.
Boose said there are other ave-nues students at WSU Vancouver can pursue to have their questions answered and issues resolved. For employees, he suggested the employee assistance program, and for students, campus counseling services. These services, are also completely confidential.
ASWSUV President Daniel
Nguyen, a senior majoring in biology and psychology, and Aaron Bruckner, ASWSUV vice president and a senior majoring in computer science, said students need to know that the services of the university ombudsman, and other similar services, are avail-able to them.
“The ombudsman is the only place where [students] can bring all of their issues and receive help resolving them,” Nguyen said. “I do believe that we need that type of service and it should be com-municated to the student body.”
Bruckner favors the idea of an online list of all options avail-able to help students address their issues with teachers, university policies or other concerns.
“Issues always arise. However, students might not always know who to turn to for help,” Bruckner said. “There may be issues per-taining to a certain department, [or] issues that have no clear de-partment. Students need to know where to take those issues.”
For now, Bruckner recom-mends students start with the Office of Student Affairs.
What happens if a student brings up a very controversial issue? Who will be willing to represent them?
“Aaron and I eventually saw
that there is not a well-commu-nicated place or person ready to receive and handle student concerns [on this campus]. While student government isn’t here to replicate the university [ombuds-man] in any way, we can certainly fill that student advocacy role by providing a similar service [through] student government,” Nguyen said.
Both Nguyen and Bruckner said they have an open-door policy and invite students to visit them personally.
Nguyen also said the ASWSUV executive team is considering the possibility of setting up a special department, committee or individual within student government to receive and process student concerns.
Nguyen and Bruckner have entertained the idea of creating an “officer of advocacy” position to fulfill these duties, but decided to focus on developing the Senate and helping student govern-ment become well informed of campus issues instead. They are now considering other models they think might work, but they realize a student advocate and the official university ombudsman would hold different powers. For example, a student advocate or advocacy group mght differ from
the ombudsman’s role because it could lack guarateed confidential-ity and lack of bias.
“At the end of the day, we are still students,” Bruckner said.
“The ASWSUV Senate has done a great job of becoming more of that representative group,” Bruckner said. “We are trying our best to have an open student government that is always willing to stop what they are doing to talk with students. We would love it if students would take advantage of that oppor-tunity. We have a multi-faceted community here on campus so we have to find that multi-faceted communication strategy to aid in communication.”
Bruckner invites students to attend the public comment time at any student government senate meeting, 9:30 a.m. every Friday in Firstenburg Student Commons Room 104.
Students who seek assistance or advice from the university om-budsman should contact Cathryn L. Claussen or Tena Old via the ombudsman website: ombuds-man.wsu.edu. Claussen, Old and their assistant, Janet Herrlinger have held their positions at WSU since 2011. n
Oh where, oh where can the ombudsman be?Ombudsman. Do you know what it means? Perhaps the fact that WSU Vancouver lacks a dedicated ombudsman is the reason why most students on campus could not answer this question
CAMPUS LIFE
Washington State University Vancouver
6
It was a seedy scene in Firstenburg Student Commons when ASWSUV hosted the annual campus pumpkin carving event on Oct. 24. Approxi-mately 50 students and 75 squash gathered to prepare for Halloween in style. The event was planned and hosted by ASWSUV student activi-ties board, led by sophomore Becci Westby, director of activities and mechanical engineering major, and junior Linda Otten, assistant director of activities and accounting major. ASWSUV provided carving tools, paint, stencils and markers and stu-dents provided the inspiration and elbow grease.
— Story and photos by Cyndie Meyer, The VanCougar
CAMPUS LIFE
Students carve out time for fun at annual Halloween event
Norman Enz and his daughter. Enz is a senior major-ing in computer science
Scott Yin , senior majoring in biology and computer science
Student Activities Board celebrates a well-at-tended event. (From left) Stephanie Leeper, fresh-man majoring in elementary education, Hannah Morris-Pinson, sophomore majoring in biology/pre-med and Linda Otten, junior majoring in accounting
Ryan Malone , sophomore majoring in biology And the winner is......
Kyra Smith, junior majoring in marketing Amber Clark, sophomore majoring in psychology
7
Washington State University Vancouver
SPORTS AND RECREATION
Story and photos by CASEY KARLSON, The VanCougar
SHRED SOME GNAR
Recent Portland State University graduate, Mark Scheel, rides the terrain park at Timberline Lodge. Photo by Casey Karlsen.
Timberline LodgeTimberline Lodge was
constructed by the Works Project Administration, part of Franklin Roosevelt’s recovery programs during the Great Depression. Since then, this historic resort has grown and continues to offer exceptional skiing and snowboarding. Timberline Lodge became a family-owned business in 1955 and it shows in the nature and quality of the service and facilities. The whole resort has a homey, relaxed feel from the crackling fire to the comfy couches and custom wood-work. On-site lodging means skiers can walk out the front door and snowboard or ski onto the lifts.
Timberline accommodates many styles of riding, and ter-rain parks are the resort’s claim to fame. Last year, Transworld Magazine ranked Timberline number one for best parks. The resort is also known for tree runs, which range from spa-cious and intermediate to steep, thick expert runs. At higher el-evations, the Palmer lift is open even during the summer.
Timberline’s terrain is not always friendly to inex-perienced riders. Many runs include flat or even uphill areas that veteran riders can cruise at higher speeds. Frustrated beginning skiers and snow-boarders resort to hopping or
hiking over these tracts. An all-day adult lift ticket at
Timberline Lodge will cost $60 this winter. For more informa-tion, visit timberlinelodge.com.
Mount Hood MeadowsMount Hood Meadows sees
crowds of snow sport enthusi-asts every winter due, in part, to its sheer size. At more than 2,150 acres, Meadows is larger than Timberline or Skibowl and encompasses a greater variety of terrains than other resorts, with woods, park, cliffs, canyons, wide open groom-ers and almost everything in between.
Providing the right rentals, lessons and gear is a major em-phasis at Meadows; however, these often come with a hefty price tag.
Meadows is expensive for some. The regular daily lift ticket is $74. From Dec 26 –31, and on Saturdays and Sundays in January and February, the price jumps to $89. However, the campus Recreation Office sells all-day lift ticket vouchers to WSU Vancouver students for $40. For more information about Mount Hood Meadows, visit skihood.com
SkibowlSkibowl’s lower elevation,
which translates to less snow-fall and a shorter ski season, is one of its main drawbacks.
It also lacks the high-speed quad chair of Timberline and Meadows, which means more time on lifts and less time on the slopes.
That said, Skibowl has more lighted runs than any other ski area in North America. Located 20 – 30 minutes closer to campus than Meadows or Timberline, it is the most con-venient destination for students looking for a ride after classes. The Recreation Office will sell Skibowl daytime lift tickets for $45, a discount of $4 per ticket off the usual lift price. Night lift tickets cost $30. Tuesday nights are Ladies Night and women pay only $18, unless it is a holiday.
For more information, visit skibowl.com
Mount BachelorEvery year, the
Office of Student Involvement hosts a trip to Mount Bachelor in Central Oregon for skiing and snowboard-ing. This trip is popular with students, and sells out every time it is offered.
Ski and snowboard enthusiast, Marcus Dupont, a senior majoring in business administration, said, “It was so much fun hang-ing out in Bend with
a bunch of Cougs and then shredding the gnar with them on the mountain. I definitely recommend going!”
This year the trip is sched-uled for Feb. 22 – 24. The cost is $150 for students and $205 for non-students. Tickets will go on sale soon. Contact the Recreation Office for more information at 360.546.9532.
WSU Vancouver Ski and Snowboard Club
A ski and snowboard club is in the works at WSU Vancou-ver. The club will emphasize the social aspects of meeting other students who ski and snow-board. For more information, search for Ski and Snowboard club on CougSync. n
From the center of campus, the path toward WSU Vancouver’s Under-graduate building leads the eye to Mount Hood. Students find their gaze lin-gering on this iconic mountain as the weather gets rainier and the mountain grows whiter. In mid-October, 12 inches of fresh snow fell on Timberline Lodge within 24 hours, signaling the eve of the winter sports season. It is time for enthusiasts to consider which mountain resorts best suit their skiing and snowboarding preferences. By Casey Karlsen, The VanCougar
Marcus Dupont drops a cornice at Mount Hood Meadows Photo by Josh Czech.
Washington State University Vancouver
8
By MICHAEL WILLIAMS The VanCougar
Good news for rugby fans: Thanks to club president, Ryan Burke, a senior majoring in psy-chology, WSU Vancouver now has an official rugby club.
Other than the new ski and snowboarding club, Burke said he does not think there is another sports-based club on campus. He adds that it is a very involved sport and a good way to promote campus and commu-nity involvement.
Students interested in join-ing or asking questions about
the WSU Vancouver Rugby Club are encouraged to regis-ter through CougSync or may contact Burke through the WSU Vancouver Rugby Club Face-book page.
The Pullman campus founded their rugby club, a pre-mier Collegiate Division I club, in 1973. The Crimson and Gray Rugby Team has played at both local and national levels. They have claimed victories in the Pacific Coast playoffs, the Divi-sion II National Championship Tournament and the National Collegiate Division I Sweet Sixteen Tournament. n
Hookers* head to campus
WSU Vancouver students guess the meanings of rugby terms
Hooker PropFlanker
SCRUM Student guess: A disease you don’t discuss in public Actual: Formation with eight players from each team bound in rows fighting for possession; restarts play after a stop
FLANKER Student guess: A steak Actual: A player who creates turnovers by tackling; plays on the outside of a scrum
PROP Student guess: A cane or crutch used by players after a game Actual: Player who anchors and supports during a scrum, ruck or maul; lifts players for lineouts
HOOKER Student guess: A distraction to the team and possible source of scrum Actual: A player who is front and center in a scrum between props; throws in the ball during a lineout
FARTLEK Student guess: A player who eats too many beans Actual: Training technique consisting of jogging with intervals of sprinting
WSU Vancouver Rugby Club is now forming Student Ryan Burke, campus rugby club founder
*See below for explanation of the rugby term “hooker.”
Cougar Football By KEVIN ALVAREZThe VanCougar
It was another disappointing week for the Washington State Cougars football team as they competed in their second con-secutive away game. The Utah Utes defeated the Washington State Cougars 49-6. In the previ-ous week the Cougars lost to the Stanford Cardinals 24–17. The Cougars have struggled in their own PAC-12 conference with a record of 0–6.
In both of the Cougars’ recent games, they failed to run the ball well. The team combined for a total of -4 rushing yards. Against Stanford, they were -16 combined rushing yards. The upside of Cougar football is the pass raid offense for which Head Coach Mike Leach is known. Over the span of the last two
games quarterback Jeff Tuel has thrown for 633-yards and three touchdowns. The only score against the Utes was a pass thrown from Tuel to sophomore wide receiver Kristoff Williams for a five-yard touchdown play as the clock expired.
This is the first losing record in Leach’s career. Previously his worst season was in 2000 when he led the Texas Tech Red Raid-ers to a record of 7-6.
In their next game, the Cougars will be up against the UCLA Bruins who are ranked among the nation’s top 25 college teams. The Bruins are coming off a 66–10 victory over the Arizona Wildcats and currently have a three-game winning streak. They will look to make it four against the Cougs. n
STUDENT LIFE
Veterans, continued from page 1
military, many returning veterans do not feel safe in their surround-ings without a fellow serviceper-son to “watch their backs.”
“I don’t know a single veteran who hangs out in Firstenburg Student Commons,” Roberts said. “[Vets] have life experience, we have been to war, we don’t fit in. I have vets who have serious post traumatic stress syndrome. They are in counseling. They have families and their families have stressors. For them, it’s a lot more than just school.”
In 2009, the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board signed a memo of under-standing with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide services and training to facilitate veterans’ return to school under the GI Bill. Among the best practices identified in the MOU were training for faculty and staff to educate them on the unique needs of veterans returning from combat zones, specific student orientations for vets and “safe zones” such as veterans’ clubs or associations.
Roberts points out that many campuses provide a dedicated area as a veteran’s safe zone. Eastern Washington University recently opened a 2000-square
foot veterans’ area equipped with a kitchen, computer lab, lounge, conference spaces and office staff to help returning vets integrate back into civilian life. EWU cur-rently has 600 veterans on their campus and expects to see a 10 percent increase each year.
Roberts is circulating a petition asking campus adminis-tration to create a similar space at WSU Vancouver.
“It doesn’t have to be huge – just a place with some tables and chairs, a couple of computers and maybe a coffee pot,” said Roberts. “Just so they have a place to hang out between classes and not go sit in their cars. That’s something the school can do to bridge the gap for veterans.”
Roberts believes orienting vet-erans to campus needs to go be-yond ROAR orientation. Because of their training, veterans want a full grasp of their surroundings. They need to see the perimeter and the physical location of ser-vices in order to feel comfortable on campus.
“Even better [than knowing where services are located] is if you know a person. Instead of saying ‘That’s the office of the dis-ability service coordinator, I can tell a vet, ‘That’s Sally and Sally
works with vets to make sure you succeed,” Roberts said.
Roberts explains that vets are unlikely to seek the support ser-vices they need because many feel disability is a weakness. Instead, they struggle alone, especially with invisible wounds such as PTSD.
“As a vet, I may have PTSD and its bad, but it is not a physical issue. I have all my limbs, so I don’t want to ask for anything,” Roberts said. He encourages vets to seek help and worries about those who do not.
“Veterans are six times more likely to commit suicide than the average population,” Roberts said. “Sally Dost is awesome about helping individuals and getting them plugged into what they need.” Dost is the campus disabil-ity service coordinator and may be reached at [email protected] or at 360.546.9138.
Roberts is also establishing the Veterans Friendly Listener Program on campus. Modeled on a successful program initiated on the WSU Tri-Cities campus, the VFL provides vets with a network of faculty and staff who have volunteered to converse with vet-erans, their dependents or family members.
“It is a way to help veteran students connect with faculty
and staff members who have an interest in veterans, their well-be-ing and their education and life journeys,” Roberts said.
Roberts tries to reach out to every veteran he sees on campus.
“I can find veterans on cam-pus, because there are a lot of giveaways. Some still identify with being a soldier. They wear their combat boots and backpacks, their badges and their jackets,” Roberts said. “Some [vets] aren’t back yet, some of them are still back there in the sandbox. Some of them are going to be there for a while. Some will work through it quickly and others it will take the rest of their lives.”
Roberts suggests that stu-dents who have not served in the
military should approach veterans with sensitivity. Before thanking a veteran for his or her service, or asking inappropriate questions (such as whether they killed any-one), civilians should get to know veterans, said Roberts.
“It would be better to invite a veteran to a campus event or a bowling night –something that would make them feel like part of the community,” Roberts said.
Steve Roberts can be reached at 360-546-9190 or [email protected]. His office is in Library building Room 204.
Coming in the next issue of The VanCougar: Personal stories of veterans attending school at WSU Vancouver. n
9
Washington State University Vancouver
STUDENT LIFE
Is there life after graduation?Although many WSU Vancouver graduates found employ-ment after commencement, others still seek jobs to go with their Cougar alumni bumper stickersBy JANAE GREENThe VanCougar
“Whoever told me that all you have to do is go to college and earn a degree [to] get a job mak-ing a decent living is quite the ex-aggerator!” said WSU Vancouver alumna, Janae Teal, who earned a bachelor’s degree last spring.
“People keep telling me, ‘Well, you majored in the wrong thing’ and my response to that is, ‘How lucky I am to be in a country that values one degree over another!’,” Teal said.
Teal majored in both sociol-ogy with a minor in women’s studies and in English with a focus on creative writing. Teal said graduation was exciting, but she was not prepared for what happened next.
“I figured I would pick up a placeholder job while I applied to grad schools, but turns out, find-ing a job that pays even minimum
wage is nearly impossible,” Teal said.
Since donning the crimson cap and gown last May, Teal has submitted over 50 job applica-tions. One potential employer, a well-respected community non-profit organization, required at least a bachelor’s degree. At first glance, the full-time posi-tion seemed promising, but Teal quickly learned it was less than ideal.
“As it turns out, [I would] not be paid hourly, but rather given a monthly stipend on which to live. I ran a few numbers and found that the monthly stipend for a 45-hour week would be less than minimum wage per hour. In fact, it would pay $7.72 per hour,” Teal said.
Discouraged, she declined the position and decided to continue
her educa-tion at WSU Vancouver fall semester. Teal cur-rently works part-time on campus as an accounting assistant for the Office of Student In-volvement and as a teaching assistant for the sociology department. Her goal is to attend grad school.
“I want to eventually get a job working in the non-profit sector with underprivileged kids, but at this point, I am willing to do anything that will pay the bills,” Teal said with a smile. “There are not exactly jobs out there begging for sociology majors.”
Like Teal, WSU Vancouver alumnae Ryan Heasley and Elizabeth Berg also find the job search daunting. Heasley recalls the experience
as “quite an emotional ride.”
Heasley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education with an elementary education endorsement last May, and also earned a teaching certificate for grades K–8. He applied for more than 30 teach-
ing positions. “When I first started applying
for jobs, I was so let down be-cause I did not get called for any interviews. I took their rejection very personally,” Heasley said.
After 15 months of searching, Heasley was hired as a sixth grade teacher at Tukes Valley Middle School in Battle Ground, Wash. He is currently working toward his masters of education degree with a focus in literacy, which he hopes to have completed no later than July 2013.
“I love teaching and working with kids. I want to help children feel successful and to empower them,” Heasley said.
Berg is still actively job hunt-ing. Last December, she gradu-ated with a bachelor’s degree in personnel psychology and human resource management. Berg
wants to find a job as a human re-source assistant to build her skills. Until she finds a job in her field, Berg tends bar and waitresses at Applebees.
“Basically 98 percent of jobs in the HR [field] require three to five years of experience. How do they expect us to get experience if no one will give us the chance to gain experience?” Berg added, “I have been graduated almost a year and still have not gotten my foot in the human resources door.”
Frustrated by her job search, Berg has contemplated other options. She has considered alternate professions, a stint in the Peace Corps or studying abroad for her MBA, but going back to school worries her.
“[If] I am having difficulty getting a job with my B.A., I do not want to put another $20,000 in and still not get a career,” Berg said.
She is not alone. With student loan payments looming, the additional cost of continuing their education is enough to stress most new graduates’ pocket books. Teal estimates graduate school application costs will amount to approximately $900 for the 11 graduate programs she has identified.
“Applying to grad school is hard. It is expensive. It is tedious, painful and incredibly stressful. I knew that it was going to be a challenge, but I underestimated it by a long shot,” Teal said.
So, what can current stu-dents do to prepare for life after graduation?
1. “Do an internship!” Berg said. “I should have really looked harder and pushed more. I graduated [last fall] and there are many fewer internship oppor-tunities available [now], but looking for a job without any experience in the field is beyond difficult.”
2.“Be optimistic,” said Heasley. “I would also take any opportunity to strengthen your credentials and gain experience so that your resume stands out to potential employers.”
3.“Start early!” Teal said, “Ask questions! Do not assume that you will have a financial safety net to fall on. Make a timeline. Know deadlines. Be as prepared as you can be!” n
WSU alumna Elizabeth Berg, class of 2012, had high hopes for employment at graduation.
PHOTO | WSU alumna Janae Teal, class of 2012, and her buddy, Casey Payseno.
PHOTO | WSU Alumni Ryan Heasely ( second from right) and fellow graduates last at spring commencement 2012.
The VanCougar is a student-run newspaper serving the students, faculty and staff of WSU Vancouver.
The VanCougar is available at distribution sites in the lobbies of most WSU Vancouver buildings.
LocationClassroom building (VCLS) Room 212
14024 NW Salmon Creek Ave.Vancouver, Wash. 98686
Phone: 360-546-9524
Editor-in-chief/LayoutCyndie Meyer
Managing EditorHaley Sharp
Advertising ManagerAmber Dean
Team EditorsSarah Cusanelli Margarita Topal
Kelsey Smith
Web and Social Media Manager Emily Spannring
WritersKevin Alvarez, Adam Baldwin, Inahlee Bauer, Jenna Connolly,
Jeremy Dunfield, Trevor Elliott, Alexander Feytser, Evan Flanagan, Shawn Galivan, Janae Green, Casey Karlsen,
Lake Konopaki, Ken Lowe, Zack Pruitt, Samy Reel, Cambri Shanahan,Alexander Smith, Emily Smith, Michael Williams, Lucas Wiseman, Jiheng Zhao
Photos of graduates are courtesy of the alumni pictured.
A letter to the students, staff and faculty of WSU Vancouver:
The Southwest Washington Blood Program holds several blood drives each year on the WSU Vancouver campus at WSU Vancouver. We have our two-day drives coming up on Monday, Nov. 26 and Tuesday, Nov. 27.
Many people are not aware that our blood program actually pro-vides 90 percent of the blood needed in Clark County. The Southwest Washington Blood Program has been the exclusive provider of blood to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center since 1995. We supply them with over 10,000 units of blood every year!
The Southwest Washington Blood Program is a non-profit orga-nization that has been around for nearly 70 years. We provide blood to 70 hospitals and clinics throughout Western Washington. One of our philosophies is to hold drives in communities where we provide blood. This allows people to potentially save the lives of patients in their own community. We are occasionally asked to supply blood outside of western Washington. Recently we were asked to help blood centers in New York and New Jersey due to Hurricane Sandy.
We are always in need of blood donors and we hope to have a
successful two-day drive on campus in two weeks. We will be set up at the Firstenburg Student Commons area from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on both Nov. 24 – 25. We have a goal of 25 donors each day. People may sign up at the Office of Student Involvement. We will also hold a ta-bling sign-up event near the fountain from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Nov. 15.
One donated pint of blood can help save the lives of three
patients as we separate each collected unit into red cells, platelets and plasma. Blood is considered a medicine, and, as such, we are regulated by the FDA. Blood cannot be made synthetically, so the only way patients who need blood survive is through donated blood. Every two minutes someone in Western Washington needs blood. Thanks to the many volunteers who roll up their sleeves, blood will be available for those in need.
Sincerely, Yvette OliveDonor Resources RepresentativeSouthwest Washington Blood Program
Washington State University Vancouver
10
Living in the wake of SandyLast week Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast of the United States with incrdible fury. Actor, voice artist and resident of New York City, James Lurie, wrote the following letter to the editor of The VanCouver, describing his experi-ence living without electricity or water in the “city that never sleeps.”
Nov. 2. — It has been 18th century life for us since Oct. 29: candles for light, no refrig-eration, no TV, no Internet, no baths, no showers. Sixteen flights of stairs up, sixteen down. My spirits are great, my knees slightly less so. Playing piano by candlelight is very atmospheric, and conversation and reading are quite adequate substitutes for all electronica.
We have walked around the neighborhood quite a bit. The most visible damage is the large number of downed trees. Some have crushed cars; others have taken out awnings and
windows or other trees. The less visible damage is economic. For example, I live over a cheese
shop. On Wednesday the Tibetans who own the place (yes, a Tibetan cheese shop!) were throwing away all their soft cheeses. No refrigeration equals a massive financial blow for them. The Japanese ice cream store put what was left of their inventory out on the sidewalk and gave it away as fast as they could before it melted. Free wasabi and red bean ice cream for us, trauma for them.
All businesses have been closed here since Oct. 29 and, until the electricity was back on, they remained closed. The one bright spot within this economic woe was the uninterrupted delivery of cooking gas. That meant pizza ovens still worked — at least until the pizza parlors ran out of dough. The shops stayed open for a day or two. They could not make coffee, or dispense soda or, quite frankly, do anything except make pizza. But they were baking away inside their almost totally dark restaurants. Guys out on the sidewalk were barking, “Pizza here. Hey, we got pizza. Come on in, it’s right out of the oven!” Pizza being the national dish of this island, I think this little bit of good news went a long way toward keeping people’s spirits up and the potential for violence down.
I saw one other store that was open for business: A liquor store had its door open and a sign on the sidewalk that said, “Screw electricity. Have a drink!”
Yesterday, the lack of water made life downtown untenable, so we decamped to my cousin’s apartment on 89th Street. We piled our belong-ings into a laundry trolley and walked the four miles uptown. Truly, I felt like a Russian peasant fleeing before Napoleon’s invading army.
What a surprise to reach 40th Street and find a fully functioning city right across the road! The downtown side was a wasteland — no one on the sidewalk, no cars on the street, no stores opened, no lights on anywhere. It reminded me very much of the aftermath of 9/11, though, of course, the psychic trauma surrounding that event was vastly differ-ent. But here, suddenly, only fifteen feet away were bustling sidewalks, noisy traffic, stores filled with provisions. Bizarre juxtaposition. Groups of people from below 40th street were huddled five or more deep around any outdoor electrical outlet they could find, recharging their cell phones. You think Starbucks has long lines? Wait until you find one within walking distance of people who’ve been forcibly decaffeinated for several days.
I went back home this afternoon to feed the cat who, of necessity, had to stay behind. The city is bouncing back quite quickly. There are still no subways below 42nd Street, or other parts of the city where the tunnels filled with water. But lines of buses were speeding up and down the avenues below 42nd Street (no other traffic on the roads there) so that people could get where they needed to be.
We passed the 25th Street Armory and soldiers were pouring in and out the door. I don’t know what they’re doing, but they are here and they looked busy. The pizza restaurants have all run out of dough and closed, but a few bars are open here and there with candlelight. After all, you don’t need electricity to drink. Unless you want ice.
Fortunately, I’ve got a bottle of single malt scotch at hand.Ice? I don’t need ice.
PHOTO | James Lurie
Editor’s note: If you have ever heard the introduction to KATU News, then you have heard the voice of James Lurie. He is the award-winning narra-tor of many television series, audio books and commercials for radio and television. We appreciate James’ permission to reprint his letter here.
FEATURES
11
Washington State University Vancouver
Correction PolicyIt is the policy of The VanCougar to correct errors.
Please contact the editor via e-mail at [email protected].
RepresentationThe existence of advertising in The VanCougar
is not meant as an endorsement of any product, serviceor individual by anyone except the advertiser.
Employment Washington State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative
action educator and employer.
Letters to the EditorThe VanCougar welcomes brief letters (250 words or fewer)
from members of the WSU Vancouver community on current is-sues. Letters must include the author’s full name, contact informa-tion and WSU affiliation, year and major for students, department
for faculty and staff, degree and year graduated for alumni. The VanCougar does not publish anonymous letters.
Priority is given to letters that relate directly to stories printed in The VanCougar. The VanCougar also welcomes guest commentar-
ies of 550 words or fewer addressing issues of general interest to the WSU Vancouver community.
Letters and commentaries should focus on issues, not personali-ties. Personal attacks and anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. The VanCougar reserves the right to edit for space, libel, obscene material and clarity. The views expressed are solely
those of the individual authors.Letters and suggestions may be delivered to the Office of Student
Involvement, the VanCougar office (VCLB 212), dropped in a suggestion box at a VanCougar distribution rack or e-mailed to
The WSU Vancouver Writing CenterHours of Operation
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Word of the Week:
Zedonk-The offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
INSERT COINS TO CONTINUE By LAKE KONOPASKI, The VanCougar
By MICHAEL WILLIAMS The VanCougar
On Veterans Day Americans honor the men and women who have served in our country’s armed forces. If an American town were ever similarly ac-knowledged, Vancouver, Wash. could stand proud, especially for the contributions this community made during World War II.
Vancouver is rarely the first image that comes to mind when one thinks of World War II. The Holocaust, the tragedy at Pearl Harbor, or movies like “Band of Brothers” are far more iconic. Yet, Vancouver’s contribution to the war effort, as an army base and a source of military equipment and raw materials, was significant.
Fort Vancouver and the Vancouver barracks have served a historic military role since 1849. Until it closed in 2011, Fort Van-couver was the longest occupied U.S. Army post in continuous operation west of the Mississippi. After the bombing of Pearl Har-bor, it became a key staging area for troops and supplies before deployment through Seattle to the European and Pacific theatres.
During the war, Fort Vancou-ver provided billeting space for 250 officers and 7,295 enlisted persons.
In addition to being a tem-porary home to servicemen, our community also produced many of the ships and airplanes that helped to win the war. The Kaiser shipyards opened in 1942 and, over the course of the next 44 months, produced two 14,000-ton dry docks and 141 military ships, including 10 liberty ships, 30 tank-landing ships, 50 escort air-craft carriers, 31 attack transports, 12 C-4 troop ships and 12 C-4 cargo vessels.
Vancouver was also a sig-nificant source of the aluminum required for airplane production. Prior to World War II, aluminum was a rare and expensive product because of the significant amount of electricity required for its manufacture.
In 1938, Bonneville Dam began producing hydroelectric power at the same time Hitler began to use the Luftwaffe as a major part of his air strategy.
In 1940 the Alcoa Aluminum smelter opened in Vancouver and the Northwest aluminum in-
dustry was born. The Vancouver plant eventually produced enough aluminum for 3,000 planes per month.
According to clark.wa.gov, the start of WWII brought unprece-dented development to Van-couver as nearly 40,000 laborers moved to the area to work at the Kaiser Shipyards. From 1941 to 1944, the population of Van-couver swelled from 18,000 to more than 90,000 residents. The Columbian Newspaper reported that a visiting reporter compared downtown Vancouver to Fourth and Pike in Seattle.
Although the local alumi-num smelting plant contributed toward the war effort, it also left behind contaminants that are still of environmental concern today. The site was listed on the U.S. En-vironmental Protection Agency’s National Priority List in 1988. Remediation efforts have focused on cleaning up the soil and ground water, but a 2010 report of the Washington Department of Ecology said the smelting site was still contaminated. n
City of Vancouver played im-portant role in World War IIFrom it’s founding, Vancouver was a military town. Residents con-tributed to the war effort during World War II in significant ways.
FEATURES
Washington State University Vancouver
12 ADVERTISEMENTS
Reporter in a Day
The VanCougar will host a work-shop that aims to help writers in every field. Whether you want to improve your journalism skills for
the purpose of reporting or simply want to write better
letters to the editor, this is the campus program for you.
Experts from our own WSU Van-couver faculty will provide sessions
on interviewing skills, writing a knock-out story, digital photography,
editing skills and AP style.
It will be fun, fast and free!
Want to be a journalist?Want to be a better writer?
Saturday, December 19 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Library room 201
Preregistration requiredEmail [email protected] to register
free
lunch!Prizes!