Dear Students:

It has come to my attention that recent efforts by some of our students to promote a new event on campus met with some challenges,

specifi cally removal of notices advertising the event. That troubles me.

We come together at WSU Vancouver to learn. We exist in an environment that is rich with new thoughts and ideas. We won’t

always agree with everything we are exposed to, but we must learn to be respectful no matter.

WSU Vancouver offers a safe environment for individuals to pursue a myriad of interests. We are a tolerant university. We welcome everyone. And we value each other’s interests and pursuits. All members of the university community are

responsible for creating a working, learning and living environment that is free of all forms of discrimination and harassment. Please join me in making that clear to everyone who comes here.

Sincerely,Hal DengerinkChancellor

To properly deceive someone without being detected, one needs to

break down the steps. Trembling knees exude the nervousness of false commitment; keep a relaxed stance. A racing pulse illustrates the desire to fl ee; breathe slowly. Twitching eyes epitomize dishonest thoughts; maintain eye contact. A shaky voice announces the lie; speak calmly. Most importantly, remove the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) electrodes from your fi ngers – they have the ability to detect lies.

Seven undergraduate Psychology students are using GSR amplifi ers and electrodes in their Research Methods class, Psych 312, to understand the psychophysiology

of lying. This equipment was purchased with a $145,032 grant earned by Associate Professor Steve Lakatos from the Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program within the National Science Foundation. The grant has provided the Psychology Department with the means to create a new problem-based learning laboratory on campus. With help from his TA Justin Walthers and others, Professor Lakatos has built six lab stations within the Research Methods classroom using the grant money. A seventh workstation, sensation and perception, will be completed this summer.

Undergraduate students taking Research Methods spent the fi rst seven weeks of the semester in a lecture setting while the stations were being built. After months of hard work, Professor Lakatos presented the workstations to his students allowing them to utilize their newly learned methods. The

six workstations include infrared eye-tracking, exercise physiology, wireless surveying, and human physiology. For their fi nal class projects, the 35 students are developing their own experiments to analyze problems specifi ed by Professor Lakatos and Walthers, a senior majoring in Psychology.

The problems include ‘racial, gender, or sexual preference discrimination’, ‘exercise and motivation’, ‘the psychophysiology of lying’, ‘test anxiety’, and ‘factors causing food xenophobia.’ Each group of fi ve to six students was assigned to one workstation in order to create their experiment. For example, the infrared eye-tracking station is being used by the researching group experimenting with racial, gender, or sexual preference discrimination. Participants will observe stimuli on a computer screen while the researchers analyze the pupil dilation, and length and location of

their gaze. With data collected, the students will try to distinguish the participants’ preferences and prejudices. According to Walthers, the Research Methods projects were very basic in the time before they received the grant. “When it came time to do the research projects, students were very limited to basically pen and paper surveys. The benefi t now is that students get a glimpse into what psychological researchers are actually doing.”

See PSYCHOLOGY on page 2

GRANT HELPS PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT BUY 21ST CENTURY EQUIPMENT

The

Washington State University Vancouver

Student Leadership Recognition

Program celebrates achievements

PAGE 2

April 19, 2010 • Issue 16 • Volume 15 | WWW.VANCOUGAR.NING.COM >> Visit our web site for online newspaper, videos, pictures, and more!

Drag Show page 4 • Rec Center interns leaving page 10 • DTC Letters to the Editor page 15 page 4

Prof. Lakatos earns grantAssociate Professor Steve Lakatos (right) and TA Justin Walthers (left) demonstrate the infrared eye-tracking workstation in the new Research Methods Psychology lab. Katie Wells/The VanCougar

Katie Wells/Editor-in-Chief

INFORMATION•$145,032 Amount awarded in NSF grant•Seven research work-stations will be available this summer•Three proposals turned down prior to earning this grant money

National Science Foundation awards WSUV grant money

S p e a k e r chosen for graduation

Washington State U n i v e r s i t y Vancouver will

welcome Scott Carson, alumnus, Regent, Washington State University Board of Regents, and retired Boeing executive, as its keynote speaker at the university’s 2010 commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. May 15 at the Sleep Country Amphitheater.

Carson will present “Leadership Lesson of a Lifetime” to graduates and their friends and family.

Until August 2009, Carson served as president and chief executive offi cer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes where he was responsible for all of the company’s commercial airplane programs and related services, which in 2008 generated revenues of more than $28.2 billion.

Named to that position in September 2006, Carson also served as a member of the Boeing Executive Council and as Boeing’s senior executive in the Pacifi c Northwest.

In August 2009, Carson announced his intention to retire at the end of the year. Carson joined Boeing in 1973 as a fi nancial analyst on the B-1 bomber avionics program. He moved into management in 1976. Carson enjoyed a successful 36-year career at the aerospace giant and continues to support special projects there.

Born August 1946, Carson graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later received a master’s degree in the same discipline from the University of Washington.

In September 2007, Carson was appointed to the Washington State University Board of Regents by Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire. Carson also serves on the board of governors of the WSU Foundation; is chair of the WSU College of Business and Economics national board of advisors; and is on the College of Engineering and Architecture advisory board.

Press Release

Alumus and Regent, Scott Carson, is

keynote speaker for commencement

From the Chancellor:

2 CAMPUS NEWS

4/19 Science Seminar in VELS 12 from 3 - 4 p.m.: “Leeches, Logs and Loadings” by Associate Professor James E Gawel, PhD

The new technology from the grant money is allowing students to have

a more hands-on learning experience, and providing an opportunity for advanced projects. Unfortunately, the grant did not come easy. Lakatos was awarded the $145,032 after three previous proposals to the National Science Foundation, the first of which was in 2003. “It’s not just a pure equipment grant,” said Lakatos. “You actually have to propose a novel way of using the equipment. It is a very popular program—almost 1,000 people apply for it every year, and they fund only about eleven percent of those proposals.”

Professor Lakatos explained that the goal of the grant program is to help educators in fields of the natural and social sciences to be able to upgrade their equipment and change the way they approach teaching. The idea of problem-based teaching evolved in the 1960s through medical schools and focuses on students solving actual problems with actual equipment. According to Lakatos,

students learn quickly and retain more when taught in this format. “It’s amazing how little is retained from the current statistics class,” Lakatos admitted. “That’s not good. That means that we, as professors, aren’t doing our job because we are teaching it in a way that encourages people to cram it in and then forget it. I think that if you have to learn the statistical technique in the context of collecting data at these workstations, then it will

stick with you a lot longer.”For that reason, Professor Lakatos

is hoping to combine the Research Methods class with the other required psychology class, Statistics. “The stats and methods go together,” he explained. “You collect data, and then you analyze it. So the problem is, students would learn all of these statistical techniques, but they’d say, ‘Okay, so I know the formula for this, but what do I use it for?’ So the

way I proposed the grant was that we were going to bring these two classes together.” Starting this summer, Lakatos plans to integrate the classes as both an experiment and stepping stone to the future of the Psychology coursework. “Since the teaching of the research techniques and the analysis techniques will be side by side, the students will go, ‘Okay, now I understand why I’m learning this,’” said Lakatos.

The months spent assembling these workstations, which Lakatos and Walthers did by hand, were very much worth it according to the two. Each of the 35 students in the class is actively participating in their experiments and projects, and all seem to be enthusiastic about the direction the program is heading. Lakatos made it clear to his students that he was not going to mediate the groups – they would need to find each other’s strengths and weaknesses in order to work together as a real research team. The students do come to Walthers and him for help, but they essentially

have free reign of their own projects. From April 19 to 23, the students

will rotate to each workstation in order to be experimental participants in their classmates’ final projects. “As the first Methods class using this equipment, this is really kind of a trial run, where we do all of the debugging,” said Lakatos. “Things are working well. There haven’t been too many problems.”

PsychologyKatie Wells\Editor-in-Chief

Continued from page 1

Katie Wells\The VanCougarThese undergraduate Psychology students are running an experiment to see if music affects the body physiologically while exercising.

Recognizing student leaders on campus

On Thursday April 22 at 4:30 p.m., students can

gather in the Firstenburg Student Commons (FSC) to support fellow student leaders being honored with one of four unique awards from the Student Leadership Recognition Program. The program has quickly become a recent annual tradition at WSUV, having been held since spring 2008.

Not only will the event include the presentation of the awards to the chosen student leaders, but desserts, coffee, and music will be provided for the guests in attendance. “The Student Leadership Recognition Program serves to honor students who have exhibited excellence in leadership at WSU Vancouver,” OSI program coordinator Rachel Samuelson explains. “Students will be recognized for their contributions to the campus and the broader community. Four student leadership awards will be presented at the event.”

The four awards being presented are the Humanitarian Award, Emerging Leader Award, Student Leadership Award, and Club of the Year Award, each with its own

specific eligibility criteria. Students were able to apply for any of the four awards themselves or nominate a student or club they believed was deserving of an award.

The Humanitarian Award seeks to recognize individuals who make “significant contributions to the community with their time, actions and dedication.” The Emerging Leader Award will honor an individual who has exhibited leadership qualities in his or her first year as a student at WSUV, either as a freshman, transfer, or graduate student. Nominees for the Student Leadership award are students who have demonstrated leadership achievements throughout their careers at WSUV. Finally, the Club of the Year Award will honor an “outstanding Registered Student Organization (RSO)” which “demonstrates quality leadership attributes, is actively engaged in campus life and promotes student involvement.”

All WSUV students as well as faculty and staff working with student leaders are welcome to attend the event. Samuelson explains that there will be a slideshow of student clubs and organizations shown at the event and any students wishing to have their group included in the slideshow should send photos of their group’s activities to osi@vancouver.wsu.edu

Nominees may be awarded one of

four awards

Amy Thielen/Staff Writer

CAMPUS NEWS 3

4/20 Health Professions Graduate School Fair in Firstenburg Student Commons from 10 a.m. to noon. Free and open to the public!

Caff e Piccolo Paradiso 309 NE Birch Camas, WA 98607 360-834-7044 Nice people, fresh coff ee and pastries, prett y setti ng.

VANCOUGAR.NING.COM

Geoffrey Wallace – DTCWhy Did I Do That? Why not?

Golnaz Koloushani - AccountingGoli’s Life

Jenny Mockford – Business Just Another Jenny

“If you had your own TV show, what would it be called?”

Dawn Freeman – BiologyThe Slow Road to Insanity

Kathleen Hughes – EnglishShut Up, Nobody Likes You

Auna Zingelmann – HDBeautiful Disaster. Not Really.

Jon Perry – DTCThe Many Lives of the Chameleon

Candid CougsJake Kleinschmidt/Managing Editor

Earth Dayplanting

Monday, April 19

Historical review: Dates to remember

Let us . . . promote intelligence among the people as the best means of preserving our liberties.

- James Monroe, in his fi rst inaugural address

Monroe placed a high value on education as a means of “promoting intelligence among the people” – this

enabling us to “preserve” our own liberties. He was the last of our presidents to have fought in the Revolution, dropping out of The College of William and Mary at age 18 to join the Continental Army. He was wounded at Trenton and fought at Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He became our 5th President in 1817.

Monroe: Political PhilosopherMonroe believed that the US Constitution was

ushering in the most important “epoch” in the history of mankind. He wrote, “if we fall, the fault will be in ourselves, and we shall thereby give the most

discouraging example to mankind that the world ever witnessed.” He added, “If they” (the people) “make judicious selections for offi ce, reward those who have merit, and punish those who commit offenses, the whole movement” (toward representative democracy) “cannot fail to be . . . successful.”

America: Past and Present

In Federalist 9, Hamilton predicted that we would become “the broad and solid foundation of other edifi ces, not less magnifi cent . . .” A century ago, Lord Acton could still write about our forefathers’ ideas “bursting forth” from America and transforming the world. Today, however, our national conduct is far from exemplary. Our judiciary opens the fl oodgates to special interest campaign funding. Our legislature trades its constitutional powers for donations and favors. Our presidents

usurp congressional powers, illegally invade other nations and authorize torture. According to The Nation, our mercenaries “are at the center of a secret program” (in Pakistan) “in which they plan targeted assassinations” and “snatch and grabs.”

America’s “fall from grace” is not the fault of our presidents, judges or representatives. They are simply acting rationally.. They weigh the consequences of honest, lawful behavior (frustration and reduced campaign donations) against the consequences of corrupt, lawless behavior (gifts, favors and increased campaign donations) – and choose the latter. The fault is not theirs; it is ours. Monroe tells us that, when acts of the federal government are constitutional but objectionable, “the people might correct the evil by an amendment of the Constitution.” We have not done so.

Monroe’s Philosophy of GovernmentMonroe took a realistic view of human nature.

He said, “The principles and passions of men are always the same . . . Self-interest is the ruling passion.” The provisions of our Constitution determine whether it is in the self-interest of our civil offi cers to be lawful – or lawless. These provisions are established by us and “unalterable by the government”

Learning From MonroeThere are key requirements we could establish

for our civil offi cers that would make lawfulness in their self interest. Term limits and a prohibition against the use of private funds in federal elections come to mind. But perhaps the most important requirement would be for the swift and certain removal and disqualifi cation of miscreant civil offi cers. Monroe tells us, “. . . impeachment . . . is the main spring of the machine of government. . . If (it is) preserved in full vigor . . . every branch of government will perform its duty.” We should now reestablish impeachment in its full vigor by, among other things, transferring the power to try most impeachments to the judiciary.

The Road to Governmental ReformGenuine reform cannot be achieved by statute.

Statutes are the province of Congress and the congressional fox cannot be relied upon to guard the chicken coop. Genuine reform can be achieved, however, by constitutional amendment, since amendments are the province of the people. Thirty-eight state legislatures (or state conventions) could fi nalize an “anti-corruption” amendment in the face of the certain opposition from all three branches of our federal government.

Neal Herrick retired from the University of Michigan as a Visiting Professor. His most recent book, After Patrick Henry: A 2nd American Revolution (Amazon.com) was awarded an IPPY gold medal for best book of 2009 in the “freedom fi ghter” category.

James MonroeApril 28, 1758

Neal Q. Herrick/Contributing Writer

Neal Q. Herrick

4 STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

04/25 Brunch Cruise Aboard the Portland Spirit with unlimited food and beverages. Tickets in OSI for $8 on 04/20

On Friday, Apr. 9, Cougar Pride transformed the VFSC into a night club complete

with loud music, flashing lights,

paparazzi, shirtless bartenders, a cat-walk, and Drag performers.

The five performers, Queens Aroura B. Star, Syrin Scities-Trimaine, Joey Darling, and Chiffon Valentine, and King Vegas St. James performed original dance routines to popular songs.

See DRAG QUEEN on page 16

On the April 13, professional jugglers performed in VADM 110

showing off their various tricks that were intermixed with exchanges of humorous insults aimed at each other. The two performers, Matt Baker and Alex Zerbee, teamed up over a decade ago and have dedicated their lives to the stage.

The brothers, who prefer to be known simply as Matt and Alex, are both products of the Northwest. Matt comes from Eugene, OR and Alex from Olympia, WA. Matt and Alex have both been performing for 15 years. They met at a foot bag competition and decided to team up doing the show ‘Brothers from Different Mothers’.

Their show at WSUV consisted of acts such as the Chinese Yo-Yo, which is an hourglass shaped object that rides on a string. As they juggled the Yo-Yo’s back and forth they also exchanged insults that range anywhere from internet humor to topics of today’s interests. At one point, Matt commented that he was “sweating like Sarah Palin at a geography exam.”

Some of their acts involved the audience. Participants either juggled,

launched apples, or had a writing pen knocked out of their mouth by juggling pins. Meanwhile, Matt showed the audience how he gave a new meaning to the phrase “hat trick” by juggling several hats onto his head or off of his elbows.

Their comedy act earned them a spot on Americas Got talent, and they have a Guinness World Record from 2007. Alex himself boasts about being the eighth best foot bag player in the world. The brothers have toured all over the Globe. Matt and Alex have even entertained U.S. Soldiers.

Before Sarah Palin became a household name, she was one of the audience members chosen for one of their acts. It ended with Alex kissing her on the cheek. Since then their popularity has taken to new heights, and their reviews from celebrities and major media outlets have been positive.

Thanks to the efforts of student Aaron Clevenger we were fortunate enough to have the brothers on campus. Videos of the brothers performance including more information and even links to their facebook and youtube page are located at www.differentmothers.com

Aaron Clevenger is currently the president of the Foot bag and Juggling club. For more information about the club, contact

him at aaron.clevenger@email.wsu.edu.

Brothers From Different MothersProfessional jugglers

showing off tricks

Jake Kleinschmidt/Managing Editor

Joe Creager/The VanCougarAlex Zerbee juggling the Chinese Yo-Yo.

Catwalk provides stage for Drag Queens and King

Unleash the Prom Drag Queen

Katie Wells\Editor-in-Chief

Katie Wells/The VanCougarPerformers Chiffon Valentine (top left), Syrin Scities-Trimaine (below left), Aroura B. Star (center), Vegas St. James (below right), and Joey Darling (above right) gave the audience an unforgettable show.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT 5

4/27 Last Chance Luau: hula performances and lessons plus a delicious Hawaiian barbecue from 4-7 p.m. in VFSC

On Apr. 8, WSUV took a trip to the Far East; Japan, specifi cally. Multicultural Events Coordinator, Evan Moriwaki took the event participants there through traditional Japanese activities, food, and fi lm.

Students could learn origami, or the art of paper folding into animals, objects, or almost anything else imaginable. One of the most well known fi gures is a crane, and a few cranes could be seen resting on the table in front of students who had learned to make them. While some people participated in that, others socialized and anticipated the movie, as well as the traditional food that was being set out for them.

Once the table was prepared, students lined up to taste the variety of food. The table featured many different types of sushi as well as teriyaki chicken skewers, edamame, and miso soup. Edamame are green soybeans served in their pods. Miso soup is made with tofu and is usually served in a bowl, where the person consuming it drinks it straight from the bowl instead of using a spoon. Later during the movie, mochi was served. Mochi is ice cream wrapped in pounded sticky rice. The fl avors featured at the festival were strawberry, mango, and green tea.

While everyone was enjoying their food, the main event started—a Japanese fi lm titled “Zatoichi” (2003 in Japan, 2004 in the U.S.), starring Takeshi Kitano. This fi lm has won many awards in many different countries, including awards such as best director, best fi lm, best supporting actress, among many more. The movie is about a masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman. The only problem? He is advanced in age and blind. However, this adds to some of the quirkiness of the movie because he can easily defeat any enemy, even if he is far outnumbered. He is also known for his skills in gambling. This movie has many fi ght sequences, but it also has many comical scenes, usually at the expense of the bumbling nephew, Shinkichi (Gadarukanaru Taka), for example, when he takes an umbrella with holes into the pouring rain or attempts to teach his “students” how to fi ght when they are obviously better than he is.

Where is Moriwaki taking WSUV next? He says that the Far East Film Festival is only the fi rst of many events to come. He is planning on taking us to Hawaii next, where we will take part in a luau. The event is planned for April 22nd, so all who are interested in a mini “vacation” should come! Find out more information about this and other future events on the ASWSUV web site. Happy travels!

Kelly Hudson/Staff Writer

Traveling to the world of the Japanese

When Gene Ligman applied for a scholarship to the Ayn

Rand Institute two years ago, he was simply seeking some funds for his education, but instead he adopted a philosophy for life.

“I did not win the scholarship, in fact I did not even get past the fi rst round,” Ligman admits. “However, shortly after that, I was contacted by the Ayn Rand Institute about starting this club on campus.” Ligman brought this idea to the club fair, and started the fi rst ever Objectivist club on campus, last fall.

In their meetings, members delve into discussions on current events and Ayn Rand’s writings. Currently, there are about 10 active members. “Most members are business and engineering students,” says Dr. Eric Mapes, who serves as the faculty advisor for the club.

Objectivism is a philosophy based on Aristotelian principles, which was used by our founding fathers used when formulating our nation’s political structure, explains Ligman. The right to life, liberty and property are all Aristotelian ideas.

“And a right is a protected ability for you to pursue what you want.” That does not mean somebody is going to hand it you, you have to

pursue it,” said Ligman.Ayn Rand, founder of Objectivism,

was a Russian-American author/philosopher. Rand escaped the communist regime in the Soviet Union in 1926, and became a fi erce critic of Communist ideals. Objectivism ideals adhere to minimal governmental control, an individual’s right to own and keep property, and a strong belief in principles of capitalism.

Rand’s fi ctional works became the platform for her philosophy. John Galt, the club’s eponymous mascot, is the protagonist in Atlas Shrugged, Rand’s most famous novel. “John

Galt asked a very important question and that was, ‘What is right,’” said Ligman. According to Ligman, with Objectivism, there is only one person who can choose what is right, and that person is the individual. What is good is what is of value to you as an individual.

Rand’s philosophy has also drawn much controversy over the years. Her works drew strong criticism from academia during her time. Recently, her ideals have been hailed by the Tea Party Protestors, while criticism has also grown from the left. Critics blame her ideals of selfi shness and free markets on the economic

downfall.“A philosophy of a

nation is at the core of its politics. Government is a function of politics. Politics is based on the culture that is prevalent in a nation…and the culture is based on the philosophy of the people that make up that region,” said Ligman. Individualism and independence is at the core of American ideals.

Ligman fi ercely opposes the increasing control by government of an individual’s life. According to Ligman, Health Care Reform, pushed forward by Obama administration, is a terrible step toward socialism.

Students can defi nitely benefi t from understanding and adopting this philosophy. Familiarity of Rand’s ideas can deeply impact how well a student performs in school. Ligman explains that, “if a student understands this philosophy, they will understand the law of cause and effect. So if I want to have good grades, I have to work for it, if I want to get scholarships, I have to get good grades, and if I want to get a good job or get into a graduate school, I have to get scholarships.” Objectivism and Aristotelian logic are the only two philosophies that teach the law of cause and effect. Currently, WSUV

does not offer any philosophy classes teaching Objectivism.

Along with fi nishing his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, Ligman is also working to start up a business. “If the business takes off, I will be here and so will the club,” said Ligman.

The John Galt Club meets every Wednesday at 3 p.m. in VCLS 225. Anybody wishing to discuss or debate the workings of this philosophy is welcomed.

Discussing the philosophy of Aristotle

and Ayn Rand

Club of the Week: Who is John Galt Club?

Rup Brar/Staff Writer

5 PRINCIPLES OF OBJECTIVISM

• Reality based What we perceive is real.

• Epistemology What do I know and how do I know it. How do I validate my knowledge?

• Ethics Building a moral code based on what you value. All good things come from acting in your self interest.

• Politics Capitalism-right to own what you earn, and keep what you earn. There are no other rights.

• Aesthetics Art and the beauty of all things.

Chau Nguyen/The VanCougarDr. Eric Mapes, a math instructor, and his student, Joey Smokey, love discussing philosophy and are two of the most frequent members of the club

Night in Japan

6 FEATURE

4/22 HD Club End of the Year Potluck at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in VMCB Conference Room 205

There are negotiations being made that are going to answer all of your questions and solve all of your problems. That’s all I can tell you

right now.

Apply to work for The VanCougar

next year

www.vancougar.ning.com

You know what I don’t hate?

I don’t hate key chains.No, seriously. Key chains are

awesome. Key chains can be little memories of everywhere you’ve been. If you went to the zoo, there are key chains. If you went to an Airport, there are key chains. If you went on the stern wheeler, they are key chains,.If you went to a gas station, yes, there are key chains.

Also key chains have this cool natural feature of being collectable.

They all look different, or at least have different logos. There range from having lamps on a key chain to being that of loony toons. Some key chains are very functional, and some are completely useless. As a matter of fact, some key chains are not even key chains — like those fake climbing clips you get from the army work great for holding onto key chains.

Another great thing about key chains is that they are easy to collect due to the way they are made. You can attach them all together and have a giant ball of key chains. I have my own ball that I have been working on since I was just a kid. My collection is about the size of a beach ball, but I don’t beat the world record.

According to Guinness, “the

largest collection of key chains belongs to Brent Dixon of Valdosta, Georgia, USA, with 41,418 non-duplicated key chains”.

Epic. If you don’t have your own key chain collection then I don’t know what to say, something is obviously wrong with you because key chains are the coolest thing in the world. Some people collect coins, but key chains are where it’s at.

Triana Collins\ACE Editor

Free Koug: Living on a budgetCheap activities for the average, poor, college

student

Write in to vancouged@

vancouver.wsu.edu to have your letter published and your

voice heard

MLIA College ComfortLife is pretty normal today. Submit your own at www.mylifeisaverage.com or via the newspaper!

Today, I realized that whenever people post asking people out or proposing, they have to wait a couple of months for their story to actually get posted. That sucks. MLIA

Today I got a phone call from a school. The teacher asked me if John could be let out early from school. I said “sure” and hung up. I don’t have a son named John. You’re welcome John. MLIA

The other day, I was complaining to my sister about how expensive books are. I then told her that I would read the book and then return it, so I could get my money back. I was pretty proud of this idea and wondered why nobody thought of this before. My sister then pointed out that someone did-its called a library. MLIA

Today, I went to a French restaurant in Chinatown. All the employees were Mexican. MLIA

Today my grandpa and I were having a bonding moment when I told him I liked my co� ee with cream and sugar. He told me he liked his co� ee the way he liked his women, hot, blonde, and sweet. I love old people. MLIA.

Today, my friends and I started a new game of Legend Of Zelda, Twilight Princess. My friend couldn’t think of a name to give to her horse, so I put “Yo Mama”. Then while she was playing, di� erent characters in town said things like “Dont ride Yo Mama too hard, you might hurt her.” We have never laughed so hard while playing this game. MLIA

Best of the Month:

A couple of weeks ago, we were watching one of those really easy videos in US History about US rights. One of the questions asked what ‘freedom of the press’ meant. One of the multiple choice answers? “The right to press all of the buttons on the elevator.” Never have I been more proud of my rights. MLIA

Today, my friend put as his facebook status “going to go comatose for a few hours, hal-lucinate vividly, then maybe su� er amnesia about the whole experience.” I will never call it sleeping again. MLIA.

Today, I looked both ways before I jumped o� the diving board. MLIA

This year, all the freshmen at my school were given new MacBooks. Since I know how to work the Mac’s Speech Recognition application, I programed my little brother’s computer so that every time he says “This is so hard” in class, it will respond with “That’s what she said”. Now even his computer will have a dirty mind. MLIA

Today, I learned that trying to roll under a closing garage door isn’t as easy as they make it look in the movies. MLIA

A while back, I sent my German penpal a ‘Where’s Waldo’ t-shirt because she loves those books. It got lost in transit. MLIA

Today I bought a gold� sh and named it Silver. MLIA

Today, my professor wrote “booger” on the whiteboard. This is what college is like? MLIA

Jake Kleinschmidt/Managing Editor

The Rant

OMG... WTF... We’re almost done... WWJD? I think he’d fi nish

everyone’s backed up homework in one night, complete all projects early, and then make sure it’s sunny and hot all summer long. Anyways, like I said, we’re almost done, and yes I know you’re so busy, and you’re so stressed, and you’re pulling your hair out and eating it for dinner because you’re so poor. But you gotta have a fun night once in a while, so here’s some FREE suggestions.

What: Meet the MayorWhen: Wed., April 21Where: Hudson’s Bay High

School CommonsTime: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.Cost: FREEIf you’ve never met the mayor

before, here’s a great opportunity to tell him what’s on your mind in an informal setting.

What: Sakura Festival

When: Thurs., April 22Where: Clark CollegeTime: 1:30 to 4 p.m.Cost: FREEThis year marks the 20th

Anniversary of the gift of the Cherry Trees to Vancouver from the former president of Japan, which led to Joyo, Japan becoming a Sister City of Vancouver. The event will include all things Japanese, including tea ceremony demonstrations, Sakura dance performances, music, and martial arts demonstrations.

What: Native American CeremonyWhen: Sat., April 24Where: Great Meadow, 5th St.

& Fort Vancouver WayTime: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Cost: FREEThis Native American Ceremony

is a memorial to remember Chief Redheart’s band, and will include singing in honor of the ancestors, the Riderless Horse (Empty Saddle) ceremony, the Sacred Pipe ceremony, and recognition of veterans. After all the ceremonies, a traditional Native American meal will be prepared and served by the Northwest Indian Veterans Association with donations accepted.

What: Art PartyWhen: Sat., April 24Where: The Brickhouse Bar &

Grill, 109 W 15th St. Time: 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.Cost: $5 suggested donation This event is kinda free, if you

wanna be really cheap. But might as well give to a good local cause: the all new, all awesome, Space Artist Collective. They are throwing a “Spring Fling Art Party” where paint will be fl ung, and music will be sung by local bands Brother Elf and Little Band. Being that it’s in a bar, there will most defi nitely be booze for your enjoyment as well.

What: Bike RideWhen: Sat., May 1Where: all over Clark CountyTime: 7 a.m.Cost: FREEThe Vancouver Bicycle Club has

organized their 27th Annual Ride Around Clark County, a family bicycle ride that offers rides of 18, 35, 65, or 100 miles. Rest stops, mechanics, road support, and more are provided. For more information and starting places, go to vbc-usa.com.

Tiger (born in 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986): This is YOUR year. You’ll have the chance to take your skills and abilities farther than ever before, and look forward to increased income and benefi ts. You’ll fi nd new friends, but don’t rush into anything.

Rabbit (born in 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987): Things are happening this year, and if you stay tuned to what’s going on around you, you can turn chance into opportunity. But keep balance in your life, especially with your family, and don’t move too fast.

Dragon (born in 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988): This year has a vitality that suits your personality well. Lots of possibilities are opening up, but you may not be the one selected for a job you wanted. Take care of your health. Your family will bring you greatest joy.

Snake (born in 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989): The Tiger year will be a tricky one for you, especially in matters of work and fi nance. Curb your independent tendencies and focus on working well with colleagues. Be careful about giving advice to friends.

Horse (born in 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990): This is your year to take advantage of networking opportunities at work. Cooperation is essential. It’s also a good year for family and friends. Be especially careful with your money and investments.

Goat (born in 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991): You like life to be calm and even, but it won’t happen that way in the year of the Tiger. So take advantage of the changes and bolster your creativity to deal with novel situations. Explore new ideas and be fl exible.

Monkey (born in 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992): You favor action, but in this year of increased activity, you’ll have to be more careful than usual. You’re good at juggling many different aspects of your life, but don’t drop the ball. Let family come fi rst.

Rooster (born in 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993): You’ll experience lots of ups and downs this year, but if you keep your wits about you and stay fl exible, you’ll turn every situation to good. Take the advice of friends and don’t get carried away by new activities.

Dog (born in 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982): Your fortunes will improve this year, with your personal and family life especially favored. Don’t be disappointed by setbacks but take advantage of new opportunities. Control your spending.

Pig (born in 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983): Your outgoing nature will help you deal with the excitement of this year, but keep confi dences to yourself and be discreet. Take time to travel with your family and friends, who will help you deal with disappointment.

Rat (born in 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984): Relationships look good for the summer, with some romance to add excitement, but try to avoid misunderstandings. This is a year of change, with travel opportunities and fi nancial benefi ts if you plan well.

Ox (born in 1949, 1961,1973, 1985): You like to have control of your life, but events may overtake you this year. Stay alert in your work, and you may have chances to improve your role there. Be cautious with money, and enjoy your home and social life.

Madame L Sta� Astrologist

FEATURE 7

4/23 Park Clean Up Day 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Salmon Creek Klineline Pond learn more at development@nexo.com

(TFLN): TXTS FRM LST NGHT

HOME I BEST NIGHTS I WORST NIGHTS I SUBMIT

(847): Everyone was high fi ve-ing on their a walks of shame

home. God im gonna miss college life

(204): some guy just walked up to the bench i was on, back-fl ipped off of it, gave me his number and walked away....i

love this city

(770): theyre selling pepper spray in the courtyard. hellooo

atl

(613): The guy in the library beside me just whipped out an entire loaf of bread, a knife and a container of peanut butter and is proceeding to make multiple

sandwiches.

(812): Contrary to what I yelled at them last night, it turns out

campus police CAN arrest people...

(214): Just saw a guy doing jumping jacks at the gym. I don’t even have to create a

punch line for that

(740): Yeah I’m buying him lunch right now because I shot him with the fi re extinguisher

last night

(512): He gave Paula abdoul a run for her crazy

(714): we can’t become the bulimic house in the complex dude. Besides, you need teeth

for your career.

(270): Hey, don’t feel sorry for me, the two girls in front of me just ordered 18 dollars worth of taco bell. Life could be worse.

(860): So I purposely left a bunch of metal in my pockets so that the smokin hot TSA offi cer

would give me a pat down. Airport security just got fun

(503): He said I was the smart-est girl he had ever dated, that should have been a sign from

the beginning

(519): I didn’t know it was possible to make picking up dog

shit look sexy.(519): She did the bend and

snap...

(973): we ate a 40 pack of string cheese and watched an entire

washing machine cycle.

(248): We aren’t going to mix hockey and sex texts tonight.

(440): I totally agree. all sexting is on hold till after the games

over.(248): Playoffs. This shit is

serious.

(919): It’s hard for me to sext him when the picture i see on my phone when he texts me is

his facebook default of him and his girlfriend.

START REAdy foR chAllEngES.

START REAdy foR lEAdERShip.

START REAdy foR ThE fuTuRE.

START STAnding ApARTpARTp .ART.ART

START TAking on chAllengeS.

START climbing higheR.

START TAking chARge.

START STRong.SM

©2008. paid for by the united States Army. All rights reserved.

There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong.Enroll in the Army ROTC Leader’s TrainingCourse at WSU. When you attend this 4-weekleadership development course, you’ll take onnew challenges. And be on course for a careeras an Army Officer.

To get started, contact CPT Lontaior email: lontai@up.edu.

PAID LEADER TRAINING SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR WSU STUDENTS!COMPLETE THE LEADER'S TRAINING COURSE! EARN A FULL TUITION AND FEES SCHOLARSHIP!

CALL 503-943-8059 TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE $5K SIGN-ON BONUS!

http://www.vancougar.ning.com

8 STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Want to work for Hollister, Co. in the Vancouver Mall? Apply now at https://careers.hollisterco.com with the password ‘sydney32’

As the year draws to its conclusion, the senators of the Associated

Students of Washington State University Vancouver are as busy as ever. Undeterred by a considerable turnover rate, the assembly pushes toward the horizon and seeks greater connection between the student government and the students at large.

Fall and Spring semesters found at least five members of the ASWSUV senate leaving or, in one case, dismissed from their positions. Replacement elections rose to commonality. One could not visit the OSI from November to January without hearing of a new initiative to achieve quorum. The number of senators constantly fell below the required eleven members needed to vote on legislature.

One source of blame appeared to stem from the programming committee. Various current members of the senate admit that the committee lacked purpose or a clear objective. “In Pullman, the program oversees a lot of clubs,” says Senator Aaron Bruckner. “Here, it doesn’t.” The

confusion regarding the Programming Committee is thought to have lead to the resignation of a few senators and has since been renamed the Campus Affairs Committee.

Bruckner was the second choice of a late January election, his fourth attempt at entering the ASWSUV senate proving successful. The first choice among the senate members was Jeff Sanders. A sudden work schedule change caused Sanders to resign a few days after his special election. Former Pro Temporae Robert Chu resigned for personal reasons. Khoa Ho was dismissed after a second unannounced absence from a mandatory meeting. Jake Kleinschmidt left to pursue the Managing Editor Position in the VanCougar and Harrison Polo, who had entered during an early November election, also left for personal reasons in February. Spring Atkinson left to run for Public Relations Director on the Executive Staff.

Now that the formal elections have finished, many of the specially elected senators have been retained for the coming year, including Bruckner and Haeylyn Valdez. Other new senators are Nalina Bauer, Blake Smith, Nick Dust, and Marshal Richards.

Dust cited his involvement in the walkout rally as the start of his aspirations toward greater

involvement in student government. He began to work with President Nick Ferderer, then ran for Senate. Since then, he has been spending time observing the senate at work, planning for next year. He hopes to concentrate on studying the budget. “I want to know what the students want to spend their money on,” Dust says. “It’s their money.”

Among the new and re-elected senators alike, a movement has formed to increase student knowledge of their government. Bruckner plans to push for more tabling by the Senators as part of this movement. Tabling involves sitting at a table in the Free Speech zones on campus, and talking to passing students. Valdez is also a proponent of this, seeking to “raise awareness of events and activities.” One idea includes having tee-shirts made for senators to raise student awareness of who is representing them.

To decrease turnover, Pro Temporae Kevin Guzman is seeking to build a greater sense of community among the senators. Events over the summer, bowling events, and other activities have served to build bonds between members in the past. Furthermore, such events can provide information on how each senator operates, as well as their various strengths and weaknesses. A meeting

that included the executive staff, as well as the senate, also addressed the situation.

Senator Blake Smith hopes to advance his idea for a Non-Traditional Student Club now that he is in a position to learn how the government operates. At the Spring Gala that took place in March, Smith mentioned his hopes to get his idea off the ground in his coming term. He expounded on the idea in a recent interview: “Basically, the non-traditional student is over twenty-five or married or with children.” Such a club would aim to pool resources and knowledge of the non-traditional students in an effort to trade information. Managing a job and attending school is difficult enough. When one also has to manage family, it can become a chore. The Non-tradition Student Club would aim to form a support group for people struggling with these obstacles.

The fresh ideas and new faces among the senate have redrawn the game plan for the coming year. With the experienced and returning senators such as Guzman and Melissa Boles, and the passionate, newly elected senators such as Dust and Bruckner, there is new hope for purpose and a greater sense of unity than ever before.

Stay tuned.

Senators prepare for Fall ‘10 semester

Erik Cummings/Sports Editor

Reflecting on the past semester and looking

at the future

Invites you to:CELEBRATE

at the:“End-of-the Year

Potluck”When: Thursday, April 22nd, 2010Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Where: MCB Conference Room, 205Five reasons you don’t want to miss this potluck:

1. Celebrate your accomplishments this year as an HD Club member and as a student!

2. Receive your HD Club certificate (if applicable)

3. Come and meet the awesome new HD Club leadership team!

4. Chat with the amazing HD faculty!

5. Lots of good food!

The HD Club will supply fruit and vegetable trays and drinks. Please e-mail humandevelopment@nexogroups.com and let us know what you would like to bring to the potluck. If you are bringing something that needs to be warmed or refrigerated, the HD microwave and refrigerator will be available for use.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT 9

Openings at Hollister, Co. for both full-time and part-time positions; For more information call 360.254.6991

FREE STORAGE!!Pay your 1st month get your 2nd month FREE!!

FREE Locks, FREE Truck and Driver, Best Prices in town, WE PAY THE GAS!NO HIDDEN FEES, Extended gate hours

A Better Way Storage (360) 573-3363less than 5 minutes from WSU Vancouver

10 SPORTS AND RECREATION

4/24 Cougar 5k Community Run. $5 Students $20 Non-Students • 4/25 Golf MOVED TO MAY DUE TO COUG 5K

The Blazers, at 47-30, had at least secured the eighth playoff spot before the team’s

game versus the Sacramento Kings Sat. April 3, but the players knew that any extra wins in the final two weeks of the season might improve their playoff position. As a team, the Blazers played strong and prevailed over the Kings (at 24-53), 98-87.

Though several players scored at least 20 points, including usual high-scoring guard Brandon Roy and forward LaMarcus Aldridge, a notable performance was given by forward Nicolas Batum. Batum had a very successful game, scoring 21 points, including a team leading five 3-pointers and a team leading three blocks. The effort by Batum helped to make up for his performance in the Blazers’ previous game against the Denver Nuggets, when he was held

scoreless for the first time in a game this year.

In the first quarter, the Blazers took a quick lead as guard Andre Miller scored four of the Blazers’ first six points of the game. The two teams frequently exchanged leads throughout the first quarter. Batum scored the second of his five 3-pointers to give the Blazers a 20-18 lead. At the end of the first quarter, the Blazers led 32-25.

Despite their poor team record, the Kings valiantly battled in the second quarter. The Blazers shot only 46 percent in the second quarter and were hampered by several turnovers. Batum continued to play well in the second quarter though, recording two blocks and another 3-pointer. The score at halftime was close with the Kings leading the Blazers 49-48.

The two teams stayed close at the beginning of the third quarter, constantly exchanging leads. Miller had an impressive quarter, scoring 12 points, which helped to give the Blazers a 62-59 lead. With about two minutes left in the quarter, Roy made two shots helping to increase the

Blazers’ lead to 70-64. At the close of the quarter, the score was close with the Blazers leading by just three points, 72-69.

Similarly to the previous quarters, the Kings managed to battle back to tie the Blazers 80-80 with about six minutes left in the quarter. Batum continued his 3-point streak by making two more 3-pointers and added a block, which helped to give the Blazers a 91-85 lead. The Blazers went on a 15-5 run near the end of the fourth quarter, culminating in a 98-97 win and the Blazers won their seventh straight Blazers-Kings matchup.

The Blazers (now at 48-30) continued their winning streak by beating the LA Clippers (at 27-51) in Los Angeles 93-85 on Wed. April 7. Though the Clippers have one of the league’s worst records, the team played aggressively against the Blazers, coming behind from as many as 21 points to come within as close as one point of the Blazers.

While Batum played well in the team’s previous game against the Kings, Aldridge was the star in the game versus the Clippers. Though

Aldridge had to sit out practice before the game, it did not hurt his playing as he posted a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Early in the first quarter the score was close between the two teams. At about four minutes into the first quarter, Roy shot a 3-pointer to put the Blazers up 11-6. Aldridge scored six points during the first quarter and impressively, had four rebounds over the course of only two minutes near the end of the quarter. At the close of the first quarter, the Blazers led the Clippers 27-18.

At the beginning of the second quarter, Aldridge made a layup to make the Blazers lead 29-20, scoring the first of his eight points for the quarter. Clippers guard, and former Blazer’s player, Steve Blake scored a 3-pointer to trim the Blazers lead to seven at 32-25. The Blazers played poorly near the end of the second quarter, missing several shots and committing several turnovers, thereby allowing the Clippers to catch up.

In response to the team’s poor shooting in the second quarter, the

Blazers scored frequently near the beginning of the third quarter. At about four minutes into the quarter, Aldridge scored and was fouled. He made the free throw to give the Blazers a 53-48 lead. The Clippers poor shooting in the third quarter allowed the Blazers to go on a 14-0 run, giving the team a comfortable 17 point over the Clippers at 71-54. By the end of the quarter, both Aldridge and Roy had 21 points to keep a 17 point lead, 77-60.

The Blazer lead would slowly shrink over the course of the fourth quarter. In first the few minutes of the quarter, Aldridge played extremely well, scoring four points and having three rebounds to give the Blazers their largest lead of the night at 19 points, 83-64. Blake continued to play well against his old team though scoring 12 points including a shot to reduce the Blazer lead to 10 points at 83-73. Poor shooting by the Blazers helped the Clippers to reach within eight points, but they would not get any closer as the Blazers would win the game 93-85.

The Kings fall; the Clippers dull against blazer fury

Amy Thielen\Staff Writer

Aldridge plays business as usual

Summer approaches. I know, I know – it’s still Spring. Summer

is coming, though. It is time to crack open the Washington State University Vancouver summer catalog and plan for the upcoming May and June sessions. Which class do you love enough to cram into eight weeks of harried and frantic learning to snag a few credit hours you couldn’t accomplish during the Fall or Spring semesters? It will be like the last four weeks before finals stretched into eight with none of the free time or struggling hopes for sanity. Welcome to a summer of the University Student, little children. I hope you brought armor.

Despite the murmurings of cynicism and despair, there is light even with the frenzy of semester ending and the impending doom of summer session. The Cougar Community 5K run is coming, set on April 24th starting at 10:00 a.m. Shawn Romine is heading up the committee for the event and he has dubbed it “The Inaugural CC 5K” as it is the first time for a race of this magnitude to occur. The Recreation Center has sponsored similar races for the past two years. One, a Biathlon, featured running as well as covering some distance on bicycles. Last year, they organized a Fun Run over a three-mile course. “Those were pretty low key,” says Romine. Indeed, neither were as advertised or promoted as the upcoming Cougar 5K.

The track winds through the

WSUV hiking trails, across and along some campus roads, as well as one or two parking lots. The varied running surfaces include wooden bridges, mud, grass, and curbs. Due to possible muddiness and slippery areas, the Cougar 5K committee will also send runners from the Recreation Center with the race contestants to keep an eye out and assist in case of any accidents.

Students can enter by paying $5, while non-students pay $20. Prizes include gift bags with T-Shirts and finisher medals. For Danielle Tanner and Amanda Flath, they signed up for a variety of reasons T-Shirts. “I set a personal goal to run regularly,” says Tanner. She went on to explain that she has been fulfilling that goal off and on for a few months. Now, with the Cougar 5K, she hopes to get back on track. Both girls are relatively new to Recreation Center event involvement. “I’ve done outdoor soccer once,” says Flath.

The end of semester will also bring about changes in the Recreation Center. A substantial number of the staff graduate this year. Among them are Recreation Intern Denise Eyerly and Student Involvement Specialist Shawn Romine. “Technically, I graduated in December,” says Romine. “But the job goes until June 30th.” Romine became involved in the events back in November of 2007 and enjoyed things he had never done before such as windsurfing and rock climbing. “It all challenged me to push myself physically.” Parts of the job he disliked included the many state regulations that required exhaustive research and memorization. Still, he managed to overcome his

distaste and expand upon certain events such as the popular poker tournaments as well as the paintball games. He felt he made a good team with Gregory, his drive mixing well with Gregory’s experience. “My only regret is having to leave in June.”

As for Eyerly, her stint as a student ambassador from 2007 to 2008 brought her in contact with Neil Gregory. She attended several of the recreation center events, then Gregory, noticing her enthusiasm and liking for the activities, offered her a job. “I liked the trips,” says Eyerly, “I never would have done things like rock climbing alone.” One of the trips stands out in her mind to this day. “The Wind River whitewater rafting trip was special – I fell in twice,” she laughs. She remembers falling out once on her own, then again when the whole raft flipped over. Thanks to her life jacket, a strong grip on a nearby rock, and Gregory directing her from the bank, she managed to swim to shore safely. She cites the experience as one, which left her with a feeling of accomplishment, of being able to do things she did not know she could. “It helped me appreciate the things I have.” Being a detail-oriented person, members of the staff turn to her for help on paperwork. She admits she does not mind doing it; it is merely the sheer amount of it she dislikes.

Taking a year off from school, Eyerly plans to build up her savings and look into furthering her career in recreation and possibly state park jobs. Romine hopes to go to University of Oregon next year to get a Master’s Degree in Education or perhaps work toward a Master in Business Administration.

Running on, moving forward

Erik Cummings\Sports Editor

Cougar 5K and Rec transitions

Action shots of the issue

Andrew Montehermoso searches for a target in the Dodgeball Tournament on April 15

Senator Kevin Guzman ups the bet on the flop at the Texas Hold’em Tournament while Samantha Goelz and fellow senator Karmen Abbot look on. Those smiles are worrying - do they know some-thing Guzman doesn’t?

Jake

Kle

insc

hmid

t/The

Van

Cou

gar

Jose

ph H

ollib

augh

/The

Van

Cou

gar

SPORTS AND RECREATION 11

4/28 Last Day of Outdoor Soccer. Held on Sports Fields. • 4/29 Last Day of Open Gym at Alki Middle School

Men’s Golf - STANFORD, Calif. - The Washington State men’s golf team moved up two spots during the final round of the U.S. Intercolle-giate Tuesday. The Cougars posted a team score of 282 (+2) at the par-70, 6,727-yard Stanford Golf Course to finish in 13th, one position better than they were seeded entering the event.

Kevin Tucker was out in front for WSU once again, finishing strong with his lowest round of the tourna-ment. The senior fired a bogey-free round of 66 (-4), the third-lowest round of the day. Tucker’s three-round total of 210 (E) put him in a tie for 16th, marking his seventh-con-secutive top-25 finish.

Nick Ellis also went under-par Tuesday, carding a third-round score of 69 (-1). The junior out of East Wenatchee, Wash., finished the event in 43rd with a three-round total of 218 (+8).

Freshman Hank Frame, senior Austin Hurt and sophomore Trent Sanders finished in the final three spots for the Cougars. Frame’s third-round 72 (+1) helped him finish with a tournament-total 223 (+13). Hurt and Sanders posted a 231 and 233, respectively.

The team will now prepare for the Pac-10 Championships in Tempe, Ariz., April 26-28. WSU Head Coach Walt Williams knows the team is on the verge of qualifying for the NCAA Regional Championships and a strong performance at the conference tournament could push them over the top.

“Kevin and Nick really stepped it up today and we needed that to keep our regional hopes alive,” said Williams. “Kevin was hitting on all cylinders this week and has proven that he can play with the elite players in the country. We’ll need six guys to bring that kind of play at the Pac-10’s later this month.”

Women’s Tennis - PULLMAN, Wash. - Washington State Univer-sity freshman Liudmila Vasilieva has been named the Pacific-10 Confer-ence Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, for April 5-11, Commissioner Larry Scott announced Tuesday.

Vasilieva, of Yekaterinbgur, Russia, won all five of her singles matches last week, including a pair of victo-ries over nationally-ranked oppo-nents: Stanford’s Lindsay Burdette (No. 61) and California’s Marina Cossou (No. 15).

With the wins over Burdette and Cossou, Vasilieva became the first women’s tennis player in school his-tory to defeat Stanford and California opponents in the same dual-match season. Vasilieva began the week with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Bur-dette, the highest-ranked opponent she had defeated at the time. Follow-ing wins against Northern Arizona, Montana and Gonzaga, she ended the week by defeating Cossou 6-3, 5-7, 10-6, in a tiebreaker in place of the third set.

For the season Vasilieva improved to 26-10 overall, the most singles victories by a Cougar freshman since 1983.

This marks the first weekly honor for Vasilieva and the third all-time Pac-10 Player of the Week selection for the Washington State women. The last Cougar to earn Player of the Week honors was current assistant coach Ekaterina Burduli.

Pullman UpdatesFITNESS CENTER

HoursM-Th : 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.Friday: 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sat-Sun: Closed

Equipment

Ellipticals & Treadmills

Free WeightsLeg Presses,

Extension, & Curl machines

Medicine balls & Yoga mats

Strength bands & jump ropes

Policy

Fitness center is free to all WSUV students,

faculty, and staff. Must sign liability

waiver. Bring Fitness Center card each visit.

Trainer

A certified personal trainer is available to Fitness Center users at no cost. Develop a fitness plan, learn how to use the equipment, or develop strength for a specific sport

or activity. The sessions are free. Get fit! Stay fit!

Before I went on the horseback trail riding trip that was organized by the

fine folks in the Recreation Office, I thought of Christopher Reeve: Superman turned quadriplegic after getting thrown from a horse. Then I thought of a non-fiction book I read recently in which a woman who couldn’t speak due to a traumatic childhood was miraculously cured by the healing power of horses. I hurdled back and forth between desperately wanting to go and being scared to go on the upcoming trip.

Then I remembered that I was, and still am, obsessed with horses. When I was a kid, the obsession took the form of unicorns. I would draw them constantly, and got quite good at my own stylized kiddie version of the mystical beast. Of course, horses were just as magical to me, and I took a couple horseback riding lessons until my parents decided it was too expensive. So I resorted to the stable of my mind: I imaged I had my very own horse that I kept in an imaginary stall between two trees in my backyard. I would go out after school and take care of it, pet it, and talk to it. I would climb up onto a tree branch and imagine I was riding it all over town.

Needless to say, when I saw there was a horseback trail riding trip on April 11, the kid in me wouldn’t shut up: “But I wanna go! I HAVE to go!” So I signed up, and my life has been

forever altered. First things first: riding horses in

an enclosed area or through some kind of man-made obstacle course is NOT horseback riding. This is like saying you’ve driven a Lamborghini when you’ve really just had a few go-rounds in a bumper car. So being that I’ve never taken a horse outside of a fenced-in arena, I would definitely consider the trail riding trip to truly be my “first time.”

The trip started at Flying M Ranch, a lovely series of red barns down some winding mountain roads in Yamhill, Oregon. About 12 people participated in the event, and after we were all saddled up and helmeted on our experienced horses, we set off single file into the wilds. Through sunny meadows and dark forests we trotted; down steep ravines and over winding streams we gingerly clopped.

We were in total control of our horses, so a pull on the reins in the wrong direction could lead your horse to slip and fall down a muddy embankment. The trip was 14 miles round trip, and some of the horses got a little cranky towards the end, biting and kicking each other to let us know they were getting tired. Thus, we had to watch out for constantly changing trail conditions as well as flying hooves.

Perhaps I was lucky, or maybe it was all my “imaginary” experience with my previous pet, but my horse, Woody, was a gem. He always knew the best route take around an ominous puddle, since he seemed to

be a little scared of water, and tried not to run too much to appease the group leaders, as we were instructed not to do. When I first hopped on him, I felt totally disconnected and was scared of being so high off the ground. By the time we stopped for lunch, it felt weird to be standing on my own two feet. And a quater of the way through, I felt like he was just another limb, albeit a furry and extremely muscular one.

I had a lot of random realizations on the trip as well, such as the true meaning behind the term “hold your horses.” We use this saying to imply that someone is rushing and they need to chill. But when I heard one of the group leaders yell “hold your horse!” to let someone know they were going too fast, I suddenly realized that I had never really connected the saying to horses before, as it probably has it’s origins in the days when people actually did use horses for the majority of their transportation needs.

Another silly saying that I finally connected to horses is “chomping at the bit.” How many people actually still use this phrase I’m not sure, but we all know it means to be excited and impatient to do something. Again, another random realization.

But the most important realization of all for me on this wildly magical and invigorating trip was that I need horses in my life. So, how to get back on a horse? Well, I could steal one, as there are plenty around here, or imagine I’m on one, or just wait for the Rec Office to organize another amazing outing.

Childhood epiphanies and horsesTriana Collins\ACE Editor

Action shots of the issue

VOLU

NTEE

RS N

EEDE

D

SaturdayApril 24, 10 am

@ Washington State University Vancouver

All registration fees support student leadership scholarships.

$5 students$20 non-students

COUGARCOUGARCOUGARCommunityCommunityCommunity5K Race/Walk5K Race/Walk5K Race/Walk

Run for Education! Get details and sign up at www.vancouver.wsu.edu/CC5K

12 ARTS, CULTURE, AND ENTERTAINMENT

4/22 WSUV Community Choir Concert in VADM 110 from noon to 1 p.m. Free and open to the public!

Radio Golf... where to begin. Let's start at the end: There's an

immediate standing ovation; my date is trying not to cry. Outside the theatre, in the car, on the drive home, and for the next 2 days, we discuss, argue, and enlighten each other on the subtle points and messages we each missed. Then I had a crazy dream I was in the play, except it wasn't a play anymore, it was my real life. And now I'm still thinking about it.

So ended the latest and last fabulous play of the season by my current favorite theatre company in our culturally fortunate neighbor city, Portland Playhouse. By teaming up with Base Roots Theatre Company, "a sanctuary for artists of color to cultivate their work and a venue for audiences to experience universal stories through a culturally specifi c lens", they have turned a story I could have cared less about into a living, breathing creature I can't help poke and prod at.

Radio Golf is a play by the Pulitzer Prize winning August Wilson who is known for creating works that explore the heritage and experience of African Americans over the twentieth

century. It begins in 1997 with Ivy League educated Harmond Wilks (Lawrence E. Street), his ambitious wife Mame (Andrea White), and his friend Roosevelt Hicks (Bobby Berma) who want to redevelop a "blighted" area of Pittsburgh. Wilks is about to become Pittsburgh's fi rst black mayor and already has plans in the works to bulldoze the old houses to make way for a high-rise apartment building and high-end stores Starbucks, Whole Foods, and Barnes &Noble.

The deal depends on federal money and there is talk of minority

development grants amongst the suddenly friendly white and wealthy investors. When it turns out that an old mansion occupied by the gray haired Elder Joseph Barlow (Kevin E. Jones) set to be torn down has a signifi cant past in the history of African Americans, average black citizens start rising up and demanding recognition, activism that is spearheaded by the morally

grounded Sterling Johnson (Victor Mack). Wilks soon realizes that the elaborate game of capitalism may have turned him and his friends into the black front for white money.

Radio Golf sported a stellar cast that burst at the seams with passion, justice, greed, and ambition. When the carpenter Sterling defi nes the golf playing, sauna going Roosevelt Hicks as a "Negro" and himself as a "nigger", he hit upon the heart of the play. He explains that, "Niggers got style. Negroes got blindyitis. A dog knows it's a dog. A cat knows it's a cat. But a Negro don't know

he's a Negro. He thinks he's a white man. It's Negroes like you who hold us back..." The fi ne line between success and selling out is explored, turned over, poked and prodded at by this amazing play and brought to life by the amazing cast.

Check out Radio Golf now through May 16! See portlandplayhouse.org for more info.

On Tuesday, April 6, 2010, open auditions were held for Vancouver’s very

own game show. The producers were looking for a host and a co-host, but ended up fi nding an announcer, as well.

The game show, Main Street Quiz, has been said to be a mix of Jeopardy and Family Feud, and will be focused on pop culture questions—from song lyrics to fi lm trivia—from the 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s. Anybody can come and be a part of the live audience or even be one of the contestants. Eligible contestants should be enthusiastic and competitive.

Contestants will be in teams, and there’s some hope in getting businesses to compete against each other, for example having employees from Starbucks take on the baristas of Peet’s Coffee. The game will consist of three rounds, and each team will have three contestants that will work

together to answer the questions. The show will be fi lmed at

Pop Culture, which is well known for their vintage soda, hot dogs and live shows. Here’s your opportunity to be on live television and win will

valuable prizes!The show will air on Fort

Vancouver Television channel 11.The show will begin fi lming on April 25. This game show is being made possible by Pop Culture, Infi nity Point Productions and Simplicity Design. There is a monthly quiz on

the Main Street Quiz webpage and results will be used during the show. Sample questions include what is the best tasting soda pop, and what is the most popular tourist attraction in Vancouver, WA?

Visit the web page at www.mainstreetquiz.com for the schedule,

rules, contact and a monthly survey. Hopefully you can come see Vancouver’s game show Main Street Quiz in action. As for the studio, Pop Culture is located at 1929 Main Street, Vancouver.

White man’s money puppet

Triana Collins/ACE Editor

Portland Playhouse explores racial

identities, tensions, and partnerships.

SEND YOUR ANONYMOUS

LOVE NOTES TO US!

•Write the note•E-mail it to us at vancouged@vancouver.wsu.edu•Wait for a reply from your love!

•••Visit our web site to comment

on this issue!www. vancougar.ning.com

Love, Anonymous

TV show quizzes localsMain Street Quiz kicks

o� at Pop Culture.

I’m a volunteer member of the Citizens Against the Towers Committee.

We are trying to inform the public about the proposed BPA 15 story tower project which runs through Clark County’s heavily populated areas. This 500,000 volt line poses a large threat to the health of county residents especially children. We have a web site www.stoptowersnow.com which has a petition the public can sign in support of stopping this travesty. The towers also emit noise 24/7 which is worse in wet weather, are visible from approximately 3 miles away and will devastate property values in entire neighborhoods where they are located. We have been told by real estate appraisers that our properties will lose between 15 and 40 percent of their value depending on how close to the power line they are located.

In today’s economy there aren’t many families who can afford this type of loss or the possibility of contracting Alzheimer’s, early dimensia or ALS diseases which proliferate in areas close to high voltage lines.

We have a Public Meeting planned for April 25th, 2010 at Prairie High School at 4 p.m. Our main diffi culty is getting the word out to the public so that they can come and be informed of what could happen in our community.

For more information, please contact me at crashclark27@hotmail.com or visit the web site.

Letter to the Editor:Citizens Against the Towers Committee

Fran Swenningson/Contributing Writer

BPA towers

Brenda Yahm/Staff Writer

You: Long wavy hair, always wearing the same green jacket, always goofi ng around with your friends during lunch. Is that your girlfriend or are you just a big fl irt? Me: Plaid backpack that you said was cool, I blushed so bad you thought I got stung by a bee. Wanna be goofy with me? When: April 8, Where: Cafeteria You: man, Me: woman

You: Cute bike with the glitter handlebars. You told me it was your little sister’s and I about died. Me: Lip ring, black hair, you think I’m goth, but I’m not. I just like dark colors. Wanna go for a ride? When: April 5, Where: Trail You: Woman, Me: woman

You: Eyes the color of a Vancouver hailstorm, smile as big as the waxing moon, a laugh as loud as an erupting Mt. St. Helens. Me: Shy, with hazel eyes that stare at the back of your head during the entire 2 hour lecture. Let’s study together...When: April 15, Where: Lecture Hall You: man, Me: woman

You: Always looking sharp at 7am. Do you get up before dawn or just roll outta bed like that? Me: Always disheveled, always forgetting my books. You lent me a pencil for our exam and when I bit the eraser off you let me keep it. Can I buy you a new one? When: April 13, Where: Class You: Man, Me: Man

You: Walk 10 paces ahead of me every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. You must park somewhere near me. I tried waiting for you to take the same path home but I never catch you. Me: Walk 10 paces behind you every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I don’t think you’ve ever seen me. I wanna talk to you but I need some confi dence! Can I borrow some or will you wait up? When: April 18, Where: Parking Lot You: Woman, Me: man

Photo courtesy of Christina RiccettiHarmond Wilks is played by Lawrence E. Street in the play, Radio Golf.

Congrats to the new 2010-2011

Human Development Club Leadership Team!

President: Auna Zingelmann

Vice President: Rebecca Brawl

Publicity Chair: Jessica Wienert

Secretary: Leslee Gibbs

Historian: Peggy Doyle

HD CLUB

ARTS, CULTURE, AND ENTERTAINMENT 13

4/22 French Film Festival is showing Un Secret in VADM 110 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free and open to the public!

On Saturday, April 10, open auditions for the hit CWTV series

America’s Next Top Model were held at the Lloyd Center Mall in Portland, OR. Hundreds of hopeful young women fl ocked to the mall for a chance to compete for the title on national television. Here was a fi ve hour-long event that was never boring.

In order to qualify for the next cycle of the series, women needed to be 5ft 7in and between the ages of 18-27. Participants are only allowed to audition once per cycle, so each contestant brought their best outfi t and were prepared to give it their best shot. Hopefuls should not have any experience modeling professionally, as they are expected to learn all about modeling on the program, should they make the cut.

Those lucky young women who make it are fl own to a

designated city to live with other contestants, who will be complete strangers. As if the daily challenge of learning to be a model wasn’t pressure enough, they will all have to learn to live with each for the duration of the show and not allow confl ict to affect their performance.

Former model and talk show host Tyra Banks is the host for America’s Next Top Model. She has produced the series over the last few years to give women the opportunity to have a career in the modeling industry. Banks is also a judge on the series, along with Nigel Barker, J. Alexander, Jay Manuel and Andre Leon Talley. J. Alexander is also known as the runway coach. Manuel is the photo-shoot director, while Barker is the fashion photographer.

At the beginning of each series, the number of women competing ranges from 10 to 14. Each episode consists of a new challenge. Week by week, one competitor is voted off of the show until they reach the fi nal two models. The fi nal two compete against one another in an actual runway show before one is chosen America’s Next Top Model.

Half way through each season, girls are fl own to an international destination to continue the competition. Past seasons have taken the models to New Zealand, Japan, and Australia. When watching episodes of ANTM you can expect to see some exotic locations.

Each photo shoot brings a new challenge to the contestants, whether it is going to “go-sees” or learning a dance to incorporate in a shoot with Barker. Whichever girl wins the previous challenge will gain immunity for the next round of eliminations, unless it is down to the fi nal set of girls. The winner of the series will win representation from Ford M odels, a $100,000 contract with Cover Girl Cosmetics, and a spread in Elle Magazine.

America’s Next Top Model is back on the CW for cycle 15. It will be interesting to see if some of the contestants that were at the open audition at the Lloyd Center Mall will make it to the show. So, stay tuned for updates on America’s Next Top Model, and then watch the excitement hit the catwalk.

So, basically if you are a fan of the old 1981 fi lm Clash of the Titans,

like I am, you will be absolutely disappointed with the new remake that has just hit screens. Following the Alice in Wonderland remake, which seems to have been green-lighted because someone thought it would be awesome in 3D, the new Clash of the Titans seems to have had a similar genesis. Once again, 3D animation is the only thing that saves a disappointing remake. What I found interesting was that on opening weekend I was in a cinema that was less than half way full. Go fi gure.

The new Clash of the Titans,starring Sam Worthington as Perseus, Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades, tells the story of a demigod (Perseus) who is unknowingly destined to take

down Hades and send him back to the underworld (with help from his father Zeus). However, this task will not be easy. Persus must overcome many obstacles in order to defeat the evil Hades’ Kracken (originally

Poseidon’s monster) in order to save a princess.

Sad to say, the cast didn’t even help the movie. Sure, there were some great, well-known actors but this new Clash of the Titans

is defi nitely nowhere near their best work. However, the cast can hardly be blamed for the mediocre script, which was knocked together around opportunities for some 3D awesomeness.

If you have seen the original Clash of the Titans, you will see that this imposter bears no resemblance. It doesn’t even deserve to have the same title. The only aspects that were recognizable were the scorpion battle (modifi ed from one scorpion in the original to about fi ve), the witches, the battle with the angry step father/thing, Medusa, Pegasus (also modifi ed because he should be white), and the Kracken. Since when were there sand people-like beings in Greek mythology and in the original Clash of the Titans? That provoked a double-take on my part with a “say what?” But what do a table of hack writers know? They must have read a movie review about the original Clash of the Titans with the summary (without actually seeing the fi lm itself) and fi lled in some blanks and added twists of their own. Well, at least the visuals have depth.

In the end, then, I give props to the animators. They did a great job, and this “refake” is only worth seeing to support their great work. I wouldn’t recommend paying over $10, though.

Titans crashes; saved only by 3DPoorly written script

not similar enough to original

Anaya Martella/Staff Writer

Brenda Yahm/Staff Writer

America’s Next Top Model searches the

city streets.

ANTM at the Lloyd CenterOn Apr. 2nd Doctor Who,

the longest running science fi ction series in

television history, came back with the show’s eleventh reboot. For over 47 years viewers have watched the alien, known only as “the Doctor,” as he traveled through space and time with his human c o m p a n i o n s exploring new worlds and fi ghting against injustice. This new season begins by introducing Matt Smith, the 11th actor to play the role of the Doctor. Many fans have been worried that this new doctor would not live up to the legacy of the last actor, David Tennant, who has been hailed by many to be one of, if not the, best Doctor in the series. Thankfully I think that fans will be delightfully surprised these new changes.

The episode begins directly after the last episode of the previous season. The TARDIS, the Doctor’s time machine, is in need of massive repairs and crash lands in a present day small town in Great Britain. This is where he meets his new companion, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), who has a mysterious problem with a crack on her bedroom wall. It turns out that the crack is not really a structural disturbance, but rather a crack in space and time. This crack has allowed an alien to escape from an interstellar prison. This escapee, known as Prisoner Zero, now masquerading as various people

in the town. Both the Doctor and Amy Pond must race against time to fi nd and capture the prisoner before the interstellar police demolish the earth in an attempt to stop Prisoner Zero from escaping.

Smith plays a very entertaining doctor. It almost seems that the character has become even more eccentric during his body’s resurrection. During this episode the Doctor is trying to learn how to work with his new body. This leads to some quite humorous scenes, such as when he attempts to fi nd some food that he doesn’t absolutely despise. Smith also does a great job at demonstrating the Doctor’s emotional side as Prisoner Zero uses him to hurt Amy Pond. Gillan also gives a good performance as the Doctor’s new companion. The role of Gillan’s character in this episode is to help the doctor to both get used to his new body and run around with him as the Doctor tries to save the world from destruction.

Along with all of these new changes come all of the traditional aspects of the show that have kept fans happy through all these years. The story, though very simple when compared to earlier episodes, is very well thought out and is very entertaining. The special effects are top notch, yet extremely cheesy, which surprisingly works well and appropriately sets the mood for this unique television show.

I have found this new season of Doctor Who to be better than everyone expected it to be. While I can’t say that Smith is quite as good as Tennant was, he does come pretty darn close. I think that many of the long time fans will be very much surprised and delighted with this new era in the long running series.

Matt Smith is the eleventh Doctor Who

Joey Hollibaugh\Staff Writer

New doctor in town

There are negotiations being made that are going to answer all of your questions and solve all of your problems. That’s all I

can tell you right now.

Apply to work for The VanCougar

next year

www.vancougar.ning.com

14 OPINIONS AND EDITORIALS

4/21 Freedom of Speech Now! Political Prisoners, Political Repression and the Prison Industrial Complex in VFSC 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Kassi Dallavis didn’t think she would go straight from her B.A. in physics to graduate school. “I planned to take some time off,” Kassi says, “but I found an announcement about this research here with Steve Henderson and I applied. I didn’t realize at first that it included graduate school. I had issues with going into physics, because my bachelor’s degree was very theoretical, and I thought, where’s the practical application? In this program at WSUV, I have the opportunity to do applied physics, all kinds of things related to physics, and a chance to do fieldwork, an opportunity I wouldn’t have had if I’d gotten a PhD in physics.”

Kassi will finish her M.S. in environmental science this summer. Her research included “going out in the field and counting things, and measuring things. Which was horrible, and I hated it, but it turned out to be crucial to the results of my thesis.”

Those results? She has found a model that predicts the effects of vegetation on wave flows in an estuarine environment. She worked in Skagit Bay, in Puget Sound, in an area where the sedge Schoenoplectus americanus predominates. This plant’s triangular cross-section, with the diameter changing with the height of the stem, absorbs and dissipates wave energy.

Kassi’s adviser, Dr. Steve Henderson, is a geophysicist. The other WSUV members of her thesis committee are Dr. John Harrison, a biogeochemist, and Dr. Steve Solovitz, an engineer.

In addition to doing research, Kassi has been working in WSUV’s GK-12 program. She works with advanced science ninth-graders at Camas High School. “The point of the program is to introduce students to inquiry-based learning, Kassi explains, “and to let them see that science isn’t some intangible thing, that scientists are normal, regular people, like them. The first semester I taught biology—I shouldn’t say I taught. I learned biology. But I loved it. The students came into the program thinking they knew everything, but then they learned that they had a lot to learn. I had a chance to talk about my own research, and what was great was that they got it! They asked questions, and they remembered what I’d said earlier. I could ask them, ‘What do you guys think will happen?’ And they would have ideas about it. They were excited about the results. They’re a young, eager audience.

“I would encourage anyone who’s thinking of applying for the GK-12 program to do it. It’s very rewarding, and you’ll have an effect on the future for a lot of kids.”

Kassi Dallavis: Putting physics into practice

The VanCougar is a student-run newspaper serving the students, faculty and staff of

WSU Vancouver. Copies of The VanCougar are available free of charge every other

Monday during the school year.Editor-in-Chief

Katie Wells

Managing EditorJake Kleinschmidt

AdviserDean Baker

Advertising ManagerKenneth Allan

Campus News Editor Sally Thrall

ACE Editor Triana Collins

Feature Editor Ben Ryan

Student Involvement Editor Chau Nguyen

Student Government Editor Adam Fox

Sports Editor Erik Cummings

Web Editor Kelly Hudson and Jessica Stockton

Copy Editor Steffen Silvis

Staff Writers Louise Wynn, Amy Thielen, Rup Brar, Sally

Thrall, Chau Nguyen, Joey Hollibaugh, Triana Collins, Kenneth Allan, Daniel

Barrette, Tyler Hicks, Anaya Martella, and Spring Atkinson

Photographers Joe Creager, Mark Balyshev, and Joseph

Tiegs

Location:VCLS 212

14024 NE Salmon Creek Ave. Vancouver, WA 98686 Phone: (360) 546-9524

E-mail the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor:

vancouged@vancouver.wsu.eduE-mail the Section Editors:vancoug@vancouver.wsu.edu

Advertising:vancougad@vancouver.wsu.edu

We are hiring!We are always hiring. No experience is necessary;

we will provide all the training you need in journalistic style, photography, and digital print making. E-mail us at vancouged@vancouver.

wsu.edu or visit our office in VCLS 212 for more information.

Letters to the EditorWe encourage letters to the editor. Please include your full name as part of the letter, and a phone

number or e-mail address for confirmation follow-up. Letters must be by a student, faculty, or staff member. E-mail to vancouged@vancouver.wsu.

edu

Advertising queriesAdvertising information and rates can be found on our web site at www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/vancougar. E-mail vancougad@vancouver.wsu.

edu for quotes.

Corrections policyIt is our policy to correct errors. Please contact the editors by e-mail at vancouged@vancouver.

wsu.edu

The VanCougar

Let’s face it, the world isn’t the way it used to be. Sure, we’ve come a long

way since the beginning of recorded history. But just look back a couple of years and you’ll realize that things are changing rapidly. Indeed, you could wander off into the wilderness for a year or more, and come out to face a radically different technological landscape. This has been going on for quite some time, and of late, with all our new advancements in the realms of science and technology, new devices and designs are being introduced into society every day. I think it is past due that we stop and think about where all this is going. We have come quite far in the last few of generations, and it’s possible that we may have arrived too quickly.

When we think of “technology” we think about computers and circuitry. However, I would like to turn your attention to one of man’s first inventions: agriculture. Once upon a time, people were happy, carefree nomadic hunter-gatherers, until one day someone found out that if you plant seeds in the ground you can harvest more later. Since then, societies grew and became dependent on agriculture to survive once it became entrenched. If the crops failed one year, people starved. Not so amongst the smaller hunter-gatherer groups, who would just move on to the next place in event of a famine. Sure, the invention of agriculture allowed populations to rise and people to have a little choice in their career options beyond the hunting or gathering job descriptions. That’s all well and good, but when the crops didn’t grow, things went downhill fast. What seemed like a good idea at the time became something of a snare to the people of old.

“Wait,” you ask, “What does this have to do with me?” To answer that, I’ll ask you a simple question. If the world finally ran out of oil and no one could drive their cars anymore, where would you be? No car, no bus, no airplanes... What if the internet went down for good? For those that have e-mail, do you even have a roll of stamps in your home? Do you even remember what a stamp is? What I’m getting at is that with each new advancement we become accustomed to, we give up on an older means of accomplishing the same task. An MP3 player may be considerably more fun to use than a piano (especially to those of us who were forced to learn Chopsticks as children), but if that MP3 player runs out of battery power that piano will still be there. The problem is that we are giving up more and more of our lives to technology in so many ways that we would be hard pressed to keep track of them all. I’m not even sure how I would even be typing this at all if all the computers that I have access to suddenly crashed. It’s not that there was nothing before the computer, it’s just that its many advantages have caused it to irreparably supplant the typewriter and other non-electronic forms of typing. The use of computers even seems to be changing writing patterns. Penmanship is now as quaint as blacksmithing. Yet, it’s not just computers.

Now look, I have nothing at all against technology itself. This might sound hypocritical after that last paragraph, but hear me out. I like my computer. I really do. I like my electricity, car, internet, television (who

Technology Column by Alex Smith

QUICK PROFILE

Academic background: B.A., Physics, Reed College, PortlandWhy she came to WSUV to study environmental science: “I liked the practical application of my very theoretical physics background, and I love the Pacific Northwest.”Hobbies: Yoga, biking, photography, hikingFavorite place to hike: Columbia River GorgeFavorite musicians: Kings of Leon, Corinne Bailey, Rae, Norah Jones, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, and Stevie Ray Vaughan (to name only a few!)Favorite dessert: Cheesecake with fresh fruitFavorite color: PurpleFavorite movie: Napoleon DynamiteCurrently reading: Life of Pi (“I’m forcing myself to read it. It’s important to have these outlets, but it’s something I don’t do unless I push myself to do it.”)Advice for students who are thinking of going to graduate school: “Talk to current graduate students who are working on things you’re interested in, and get their advice for places to go/people to work with. I have found that the department you choose is extremely important—make sure the other graduate students and professors, other than your advisor, are people you could see yourself having good relationships with. Have fun. Don’t rush into anything or feel like you have to commit right away because your high school counselor/parents/TV told you to go to college.”If you want to be happy for the rest of your life: “Don’t worry about things you can’t change. Enjoy what you have in life. Do your best, and don’t get down on yourself. You can be your own worst enemy if you allow it (don’t!). Smile.”

calls it that anymore?), indoor plumbing, and so on. What worries me is the extent that we are putting more and more faith in progressively less stable creations. Going back to agriculture, at least if you throw some seeds in a field there’s a still a decent chance nature might take care of the rest. You throw your computer in a pile of dirt and I doubt anyone will be able to make anything useful out of it anytime soon. A car may be faster than a bicycle, but when one of the car’s myriad moving parts stops moving, you might just be wishing you still had that bike. Not to mention bicycle parts are considerably cheaper, in the event that they should break down. And what about those flying cars that mankind has been dreaming about since the time of the Wright Brothers (if not Leonardo Da Vinci)? I actually hope those never come about. While I admit that they would probably get us around faster, the odds are much greater that I might wake up to find a car crash in my living room.

So after all that, I must have some sort of plan to fix this mess, right? Actually, I’m not so sure. Maybe a decade or two ago we could have done something about our dependence on technology. But now that everything is stored in computers or

networked over the internet, I don’t think telling everyone to just stop will work any better than trying to give up farming as a food source. The best we can do now is to use a little more caution. I see the lure in integrating ourselves with better and better stuff, but when that stuff breaks we’re worse off than we were before. Everyone knows what happens when the power goes out. The refrigerator stops working, the T.V. won’t turn on, the microwave is dead. Your life is turned upside down because gravity saw fit to bring down a tree somewhere. Even though it usually only lasts for a few hours (unless you live far enough out) this should be a wake-up call of just how much we really need, or feel we need, all these fragile things. Yet, we can’t just drop it all. We need to be watchful of what we’re giving our lives over too, even if we don’t avoid it entirely. If we could at least realize our technology is fallible, I’ll be happy.

Honestly, I don’t have any sure-fire plan for how to “fix” us. All I know is that it would be nice if we got out of this mindset of technology being what’s going to save us. You may not think about it much, but the other thing that people use technology for is a means to try and fix all of our

perceived ills. We’re always coming up with new tactics and gadgets to try to put an end to what makes us feel bad. It’s not just the computers in our homes, it’s our solution to just about everything. Before we all hook up our brains to our computers (just watch, it’ll happen), we need to really think about whether or not that’s what we need, or just what we think will fix some issue that we should handle ourselves. I’d rather deal with my own problems and beat them than let technology lull me into a false sense of security.

So, I guess one could think of this as a big disclaimer about those things we keep taking for granted…and we do, don’t we? Everything from our cell phones to electricity itself, we keep assuming that it’s all good. No wonder most disaster movies end with most of the population dying: we put everything on gadgets and devices that have definite shelf lives. And when it’s gone, we panic; we can’t function. Your computer won’t be the death of you if you don’t let it. It’s not the end of things, nor is it the beginning. Going forward, remember that forsaking your way back in favor of a new shortcut to where you’re going could bite you in the end.

OPINIONS AND EDITORIALS 15

4/21 Business Speakers Series - “Redefining the Socially Responsible Investor” in VADM 110 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Free!

In the interest of presenting a balanced perspective, I was

asked by the VanCougar staff to write and address the “CS vs. DTC” op-ed piece that appeared in April 5th issue of The VanCougar. Perhaps it was because I am a former editor of the paper and a DTC major WSU-V graduate. But frankly, I can offer no further “balanced” perspective because the piece was pretty much balanced and honest to begin with.

In a nutshell, and for the most part, the writer (Alex Smith) was right. The arguments he presented about the two programs’ differences were mostly true. The author stated the essential difference was that CS leans towards

a purely scientific/programming approach while DTC more towards an artistic and/or end-user approach. In my experience that seems true. He also insinuated that CSers were the superior, master coders; which is generally, but not emphatically true.

The author clearly stated that there was room and need in the world for both disciplines or kinds of people (left brain/right brain). However, in stating that you should hire one grad over the other the author made a grievous error.

However, keep in mind that this was an opinion piece and everyone has a right to their opinion. Granted, it appeared on the front page. As an

editor I also made the error of putting op-ed piece on page one. But, we learn from our mistakes. Don’t we Katie?

I bring one other insight to this discussion. I am a huge Disney fan. As such I follow closely the work of Walt Disney Imagineering. Imagineers could not do what they do (design theme parks, shows and attractions) without the aid of all kinds of scientists, engineers, creative thinkers and artists.

So, I guess my point would be to say, if you want to hire someone hire a WSU-V grad who has the knowledge and skill that fits the job you need to fill.

Gregory E, Zschomler2009 WSU-V DTC Graduate

Dear VanCougar Editor,If there is any confusion

among your readers regarding the characteristics of the Digital Technology and Culture program in comparison to the Computer Science program, please accept this explanation.

Digital Technology and Culture is an interdisciplinary degree program incorporating the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Before graduating, students demonstrate competency in ten core objectives, which are outlined on the DTC program webpage. The DTC program stresses critical thinking, creativity, and computing skills. DTC graduates receive a Bachelor of Arts after successful completion of the program.

The Computer Science degree is offered through the school of Engineering and Computer Science. According to Associate Professor Dick Lang, Coordinator of Computer Science, the program’s focus is, “To create knowledgeable and professional software developers.” Lang also stresses that the principles of computer science are emphasized and no particular program receives any special focus. CS graduates receive a Bachelor of Science after completing their studies.

One requirement of the DTC program is the Senior Seminar in which students participate in directed studies or internships. The DTC homepage states, “Directed studies and internships encourage students to gain real world experience and engage in projects aimed at serving the community, both of which help students with professional career networking and developing a commitment to public service.”

This community outreach has not only been beneficial to DTC students, but also the University as a whole. Scott Milam, a local business owner and community leader who currently serves on the boards of Identity Clark County, the Vancouver Symphony, the Alexa Dyer Life Challenge Award Foundation, and the Clark College Foundation, has witnessed many aof these DTC projects first hand. When asked how the DTC program’s involvement has benefited

the community Mr. Milam said:“I would say there are two major

benefits: 1. Organizations have had

significant improvements with their communication outreach to their community (clients, donors, community awareness, etc.). Most, if not all, of the organizations that have worked with the DTC students would not have been able to advance their digital technologies [otherwise].

2. The business and nonprofit communities I am involved with are “a buzz” about WSUV. I believe that anything that brings attention to the school helps our locals keep our local university on the radar screen when making decisions for higher education for themselves, or their young adults.”

We think the CS and DTC programs are both worthwhile pursuits and are complimentary disciplines. In a discussion with Associate Professor Lang, he acknowledged that CS and DTC are not competitive with each other. To illustrate his point he compared the mathematical and technical base of computer science to the creative core of DTC. And although it may seem that a major in DTC might lead to a far less tedious occupation, Professor Lang would like to stress that as a CS major you won’t just be sitting behind a desk all day, writing code. “You also have to collaborate with clients and colleagues.”

Comparing majors is best done between a student and advisor with the interests of the individual student in mind. Attempting to rank majors in terms of importance is a task devoid of meaning. What makes the degrees offered unique is what is to be celebrated. While students should be well informed on what the different majors offered before committing to a program, they should also recognize that it is more important to celebrate the diversity of programs offered at WSU Vancouver than to quibble about the value of the programs themselves.

Thank you,Samantha Goelze andNick Hill

You might not have noticed, but Greece is going through some difficult

times. A member of the Eurozone (a union of European nation-states that have the euro as their only currency), Greece dramatically increased its deficit over the last decade.

This is a common story among the Eurozone nations labeled the “Piigs”, which stands for Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain. Greece in particular went on what BBC News calls a “spending spree” during the last decade. Financed by borrowed money, public spending rose dramatically and public sector wages nearly doubled. Meanwhile, tax revenue went down due to rampant tax evasion.

But then the recession hit.

Currently, Greece’s debt is 116 percent of its GDP. The country’s budget deficit amounts to 12.9 percent of the country’s GDP: over four times what is allowable in the Eurozone. Such high debt makes lenders wary of Greece, meaning that Greece has to pay considerably higher premiums than other Eurozone countries.

To cut a long story short, the Eurozone (led mainly by France and Germany) recently came up with a bailout for Greece to the tune of 30 billion dollars to help Greece refinance a portion of their loans. For the Eurozone members, the fear is two-fold. If Greece is not helped, it could topple and cause a domino effect that would destroy other teetering Piigs.

The second fear is connected to the first. Should Greece topple, the credit ratings of other Eurozone members would likely plummet.

As of the writing of this column,

Greece has not yet accepted the bailout, instead cutting spending on public sector pensions and raising taxes.

Now, you might be wondering why you, a WSU Vancouver student, should be concerned about events across the Atlantic.

Simply this. We should take note of the reaction the Greek government received when they proposed cutting services and public sector wages and pensions. The country has been paralyzed by months of strikes and protests.

A recent column by historian and political commentator Victor Davis Hanson says it well. “One hour we hear shouts [from opponents of the cuts] that the Germans owe more reparations for WWII, the next hour that cutting two bonus monthly pay periods would be akin to national suicide, the next that an overtaxed, overregulated private sector must be

taxed more heavily and regulated more strictly in order to provide the necessary funds for an ever-expanding public work force.”

Many Greeks are not prepared to give up their gains even as their country stands on the brink of financial collapse.

All to say this is a foreshadowing. If Greece is coming apart at the seams because its debt is 116 percent of its GDP, imagine the turmoil America will suffer when it at last faces its debt! The US federal debt currently stands at about 98 percent of the GDP. What this means is that the government owes as much as the entire United States produces in a year! And US debt is expected to rise dramatically over the next few years.

As students who will soon be looking for jobs, we should insist that our leaders stop spending beyond our means. Rest assured, our generation will be paying the tab.

All good things must come to an end. And so do bad things like this column.

Though for most of you I am sure that you are not feeling like you are missing much. It has been a good run. We had some laughs but probably more cries. Who knows what will lay next in store for us. Who will be the next editors? Who will be the next columnists to write these? Will one return? Will they write the same column or start a new one? If they do, lets hope they start a new one, as this one is awful. Instead of torturing you with more nonsense and ramble here is something possibly entertaining.

I turn polar bears white and I will make you cry. I make guys have to pee and girls comb their hair. I make celebrities look stupid and normal people look like

celebrities. I turn pancakes brown and make your champagne bubble. If you squeeze me, I’ll pop. If you look at me, you’ll pop. Can you guess the riddle?

I’m glad to have received the multiple Letters to the Editor this issue! For those of you

that took the time to write in, thank you.

Regarding Samantha and Nick’s letter, I appreciate the fact that rather than get angry about Alex Smith’s letter, you took the time to simply describe your major as you see it, and to talk about the importance of it. At the end of your letter you mention ‘ranking majors’ and the pointlessness of it. I agree, and I believe Alex does as well. In his opinion column, he states that, as a CS major, he is ‘tempted to say that [his] field of study if the more important one, but [he sees] the merit of having those more trained in the application field of computers’, i.e. DTC majors.

I don’t believe Alex was trying to compare the majors in an attempt to rank them, he was simply stating the differences.

See GET REAL on page 16

Letter to the EditorDear Editor-In-Chief,

I’m sure you’ve received a few messages concerning Alex Smith’s article

“Computer Science vs DTC” expressing a concern over the article’s lack of research and incorrect conception of the DTC program.

I’m a current DTC student and I have also been a freelance web designer since I was 15. I’m 20 now. Therefore, I have actual working experience on multiple levels of website and graphic design development and I must express my concern of Mr. Smith’s conception that DTC students “tinker” in programs like Photoshop, but cannot code websites (implying DTC students do not learn many practical things concerning web design).

The DTC program I define is certainly artistic but not an arts program like fine arts. We DTC students are taught 2D and 3D animation (DTC 335), graphic and website design, social network marketing, content writing for the web (DTC 478 / DTC 356) (and SEO in concordance), video and audio production (DTC 338), CSS, XHTML (DTC 355), and now PHP (DTC 477) as well if we so chose.

The concentrations on the DTC website of “Concentration I: Media Authoring”, “Concentration II: Informatics”, and “Concentration III:

Culture & Technology” were posted over two years ago. Students can choose to focus on web, graphics, animation, video, social networking, etc within DTC.

DTC is meant to provide hands-on courses where students learn not just how to make a website, but how to make a website that reads well, is easy to view, SEO-friendly, understandable, cross-browser compatible, and more. We are taught the theory of color composition (DTC 336), content organization, and effective design through these, in any multimedia object we design. In short, there is a logic to the “art”.

Students of this program are expected, and if they do not learn in classes, the concepts of dynamic programming languages such as PHP, AJAX, JavaScript, Ruby, and so on, and how they work with XHTML.

As a freelancer for five years now, I’m very concerned that an opinion article would take such an obvious, unbalanced and slanted bias against a program that the writer knows relatively nothing about. If Mr. Smith feels he understands DTC, I must politely refute him. One cannot understand a program unless one has experienced a few of the classes.

Thank you for your time,

Christina

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

16 CALENDAR

Regarding Christina’s letter, you state that you are concerned

over Alex’s conception that DTC students ‘cannot code web sites.’ However, in his column, he writes, ‘what [DTC students] do learn is along the lines of HTML, otherwise known as relatively simple web page programming languages’. Not being a DTC or CS major, and not having the slightest clue as to how to code a web site, I did research to see what exactly HTML codes were.

After looking through both the CS and DTC web site, as well as multiple internet sites related to coding, I realized that the main argument in Alex’s column is that CS majors code programs while DTC majors use those programs to read their own coding — many times to read their web site coding. With your letter, you have helped inform readers of the many programming languages DTC majors do learn; such as PHP, JavaScript, and Ruby; all of which work within HTML, as Alex agreed.

Alex also states that DTC majors take ‘a variety of classes concerning design of web sites’. For that reason, I don’t believe he was implying that DTC students do not learn practical things concerning web design, as your letter reads.

Regarding Greg’s letter, I agree that Alex’s statement, ‘if you need to hire someone who can code, don’t hire a DTC major’, was not something that would be allowed in a news article. But like you pointed out, that is his opinion.

I don’t know, Greg. I feel like a front page opinion column pulls in a lot of readers. ; ) But you are right. It is probably not the best place for it.

Again, I don’t believe it was Alex’s intention to discredit the DTC students or department, but I’m glad that his column has given DTC students the chance to explain what they think their program is all about. I think students hearing about departments from other students is a great way to inspire and educate each other. As long as we realize that some things are opinions, and we approach them that way, then the sharing of ideas can always be positive. There is nothing more enlightening than discussing things with someone you disagree with. In my opinion, of course.

Thank you again to everyone who wrote in! We really appreciate your responses and take to heart everything that is said. Though this is the final issue of the semester, if you want to write in, The VanCougar will continue to post updates on our web site through the summer.

To see the updates, check out www.vancougar.ning.com!

On a side note, this is my last issue as Editor-in-Chief. Thank you everyone who has contributed to the paper — even if that simply means picking it up to look at the front page and then throwing it away.

To The VanCougar staff: you guys have been amazing! Seriously, the kick ball game might have been the greatest time ever. Who cares that we lost, right? But seriously, great job this year! I hope you all continue to work for The VanCougar.

To readers: thanks for picking up the paper each time the new issue comes out!

To haters: thanks for hating! We are constantly trying to improve the quality of the paper, so your constructive criticism is very helpful.

To anyone who has ever let me in the building on the weekend: I owe you my life. You, campus security, are some of the nicest people on this campus.

To my friends on the Custodial Staff: I appreciate the late night talks..you guys have kept me sane.

To VIT: thank you for constantly fixing our computers and network, and being concerned about my lack of sleep. :)

Finally, Dean Baker: you are bomb. For real, you’ve helped the staff a lot this year and have really tried to reach out to them. The one-on-one tutoring should definitely be continued next semester, but it’s up to whoever is in charge. Thanks for always sticking up for the newspaper industry and telling people exactly what the 1st Amendment is. Thanks for encouraging us to be a bit scandalous with the ‘The SEXpert’ and making sure that the students were always the ones controlling the student newspaper. You are awesome and I really appreciate everything you’ve done for The VanCougar.

So, people, it’s been real. Have a good rest of your time here at WSUV!

Oh, p.s. Thank you Kendal for bringing me my phone charger, food, Full Throttles, and Jalapeño Cheetos. You’ve kept me alive this year.

The Drag Show began with an introduction from Cougar Pride’s current

president, Brittania Anoai-Gonzalez. With the help of Jes Dimas, KOUG Radio DJ and member of Cougar Pride, and Cara Cottingham, KOUG Radio Station Manager, Brittania led the audience through the competition phase of the event, to the disco break dance party, to the exhibition, and finally to the coronation.

During the disco break, attendees voted for their favorite Drag Queen or King using their competition dances to base their opinions. The Drag Queens and King walked around the crown holding hats, collected flamingo pink tickets from voters. At the coronation, the King and Queen with the most pink tickets were crowned King and Queen of the ‘Prom’.

As the only Drag King in the event, Vegas St. James was crowned King. From the cheers of the crowd and the laughter during St. James’ performance, she wasn’t awarded simply by default. St. James’ performance to “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship left the audience breathless from laughter.

When it came time to crown the Prom Queen, the four Drag Queens looked anxiously at Jes Dimas, who was announcing the winner.

After providing the crowd with lap dances, biting a dollar bill out of WSUV student Spring Atkinson’s mouth, and booty-shaking better than Beyoncé, Aroura B. Star won the votes of the majority.

Anoai-Gonzalez, again with the help of Dimas and Cottingham, awarded the King and Queen with ‘swag bags’. These prizes consisted of Mac cosmetics, hair clips, and a $50 Nordstrom card. Each of the other performers also received a ‘swag bag’ (minus the Nordstrom card), as well as members of the audience whose ticket numbers were called in the raffle.

Students and attendees were allowed to jump up on stage and dance with the performers during the exhibition section of the event. This mini-dance on stage got guests in the mood for the final event of the night.

Once the King and Queen were crowned, and the ‘Thank Yous’ were said, the Drag Show transformed into a dance club. With Jes Dims, aka DJ Toropop, laying down his ‘Disco Dolly Dance Delights’, the mood was set.

Also at the event were Planned Parenthood, the Haiti Relief Coalition, the Cascade Aids Project, YWCA, and Northwest Pix Photography.

To the members of Cougar Pride, the event was a success. However, they had met with a few challenges prior to Apr. 9. According to Bola Majekobaje, Assistant Director of Student Diversity, the Drag Show advertisements had been taken down multiple times from the Free Speech Boards around campus. The issue was resolved prior to the event.

Check out more pictures and video on www.vancougar.ning.com!

Continued from page 15Continued from page 4

18

19

20 21 22 Student

Leadership Recognition

Program4 p.m. in VFSC

23KOUG Radio Involvement

Party at 3 p.m. in VADM 129

24

25 26

DEAD WEEK

27 28Salmon Creek Journal Launch

Party 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

in VFSC

29 30 1

2 3

FINALS WEEK

4 5 6 7End of Spring Semester ‘10

8

9 10 11Final grade submissions

12 13 14 15Commencement

at 1 p.m. @ Clark County

Amphitheatre

April & May Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Congratulations to Mary Krzysiak for being awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Student Achievement