viking jam

7/30/2019 Viking Jam

1/16

FridayOctober 19, 2012

Volume 161Issue 7

westernfrontonline.net

The Western Front

Online only Great Pacic Band stuns crowd of Western students

Winner o fve 2011 SPJ Awards

By Mason Cheung

On Wednesday, Westernannounced its Center forEconomic Vitality would beclosing by the end of the year.

The cutback is due to aloss of funding from stateand local governmentalagencies, said Brian Burton,dean of the College forBusiness and Economics.

Focusing on export-related counseling and marketresearch, the center has beenoffering specialists for small

businesses in Whatcom Countyat no cost since 2008, Burtonsaid. Issues these businessesface involve keeping their

businesses running andnding ways to grow.

Burton said the centerwill have helped as many as300 different businesses thisyear alone.

Acting director JamesMcCafferty is one of six staffmembers at the center whowill lose their jobs at the end ofthe year. McCafferty said theyare still determined to continueproviding the same work forthe community until then.

WWU econ.center closesdue to

cutbacks

By Elena Edington

The number of Americanswho do not identify with anyreligion, commonly referredto as nones, is on the rise.One in ve U.S. adults olderthan 30 and 1 in 3 adultsyounger than 30 are now

religiously unafliated, thehighest percentage ever,according to a recent study

by the Pew Research Center.In 2007, the center found

15.3 percent of Americanadults, when asked abouttheir current religion,described themselves as

atheist, agnostic or nothingin particular. The numberof unafliated respondentshas climbed steadily overthe years and now resides atalmost 20 percent.

A question o aithOne in five U.S. adults now religiously unaffiliated

Chaplain of the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry, Father Joseph Altenhofen, celebrates communion

during mass at the Newman Center, Thursday. One in five adults older than 30 do not have any religious

affiliations, according to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center. Photo by Nick Gonzales

SEE FAITH, PAGE 3 SEE CEV, PAGE 4

Mt. Baker Theatre will

host their 13th annual

lm festival at 6 p.m.Attendees can checkouttheir new selection ofwinter sports clips frominternational and locallmers on Oct. 25. Ticketscost $8 in advance and $10at the door.

Compass 2 Campus willbring 900 fth gradersfrom Skagit and Whatcomcounties to Western onTuesday. The students are

visiting to see rsthandwhat university andcampus life is like. Thetour marks the fourth yearsince Compass 2 Campuswas initiated.

October 27 is Makea Difference Day, anational holiday that letscitizens give back to theircommunities. Residentsof Bellingham's Yorkneighborhood conduct anannual cleanup of FranklinPark on this day. Volunteersstart their day with afree breakfast at 9 a.m. atBellingham High School.

Q&A with travelguru Rick StevesBy Annika Wolters

Author and travel guruRick Steves made his wayto Western's Arntzen Hallon Tuesday to preach theimportance of voting infavor of Initiative 502.

Steves has spent aboutone-third of every yeartravelling through Europesince 1973. While venturingacross the globe, Steves saidhe viewed American societyfrom afar, and compared lawsin the United States with those

from European countries.This particular initiative

concerning the legalizationand regulation of marijuana,Steves said, must be passed.

When his talk was overand the people cleared out,with autographed travel

brochures clutched in hand,Steves and the Western Frontsat in the giant, empty lecturehall and discussed his life.

SEE STEVES, PAGE 4

Number of water

bottles filled using

refilling stations, as

of Oct. 18, 2012

WadeKing

37,345

Arntzen

13,145OldMain

12,041

It takes 3 gallons of water to make

1 gallon of water bottles

RecCenter

Eliminating single-use bottles

Last spring, Western

students passed an

initiative that would

ban the sale of all single-

use water bottles from

Western's campus. TheAssociated Students has

installed water bottle

reflling stations to help

students ease into the

transition.

The AS is working to

install another station

inside the Wilson

Library by spring 2013.

Illustration by Annie Gaines

Source: Carolyn Bowie

Viking JamChamps welcome new season, page 8

Shoe ArtA masterpiece for your feet, page 12

PetsLeaving behind

man's best friend,page 13

The Western Libertariansand the None of the Aboveclub will be showing thethird-party presidentialdebate from 6 to 8 p.m.on Tuesday, in AcademicWest 305. The groups wantto inform students that theyhave alternative votingoptions to the two majorpolitical parties. Food will

be provided.


2/16

2 | News Friday, October 19, 2012| The Western Front

Cci

The Western Front strives for accuracy and will correct errors of fact promptly and courteously.Please notify us of any factual errors at [email protected].

Cp BxBellingham Police

Oct. 16An individual who used to liveat a home now rented by anotherperson, returned to the propertytoday, let out the chickens and leftrambling notes. If the individualis located, the tenant requestedthey be trespassed from theproperty.

Oct. 18An individual on the 2200 blockof Michigan Street called policeand reported that he fell fora Nigerian scam and sent his

computer to an unknown personin this country without gettingpaid for the computer.

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison

Winner of ve Society of ProfessionalJournalist awards

Western Washington UniversityCommunications Facility 251Bellingham, WA 98225

Editor-in-ChiefSarah Aitchison

Managing EditorJames Kozanitis

News EditorsMike Lydon

Daniel Pickard

Features EditorsAna Karen Perez Guzman

Brooke Warren

Sports EditorAlex Bigelow

Opinion EditorJoella Ortega

Photo EditorLaura Going

Online EditorMike Gore

Copy EditorsJules Guay-Binion

Taryn KnudsvigJessica Pain

Illustrator

Annie Gaines

Cartoonist

Owen Whitcomb

Editorial DepartmentNewsroom: 360-650-3162

Communications Facility 222

Letters to the editor:[email protected]

Press releases:

[email protected]

Faculty AdviserJack Keith, Jack.Keith@w wu.edu

Advertising Department360-650-3160

Skip Gibson, advertising managerAlethea Macomber, business manager

The Western Front is published every Tuesday andFriday in the fall, winter and spring quarters, a ndonce a week in the sum mer. The Western Frontis the ofcial newspaper of Western WashingtonUniversity and is published by the StudentPublications Council. It is mainly supported byadvertising. Opinions and stories in the newspaperhave no connection to advertising. News content isdetermined by student editors. Staff reporters areinvolved in a course in the department of journalism,but any student enrolled at Western may offer storiesto the editors. Members of the Western communityare entitled to a single free copy of each issue ofThe Western Front.

The

WesternFront

By Alex PetersonWith ballots being mailed to voters this week, candidates for Governor of Washington Jay Inslee (D) and Rob

McKenna (R) sparred over issues including education, taxes and transportation Tuesday night in the nal debatebefore the Nov. 6 election.

Going into the debate, Inslee had a 3-point lead over McKenna at 47-44 percent, according to SurveyUSA, well withinthe 4.3 percent margin of error.

Following the debate, support stayed the same, according to a KCTS 9 poll that showed Inslee leading 47.9-44.7 percent,but of likely voters, McKenna gained on Inslee, trailing 47.1-46.3 percent.

Highlights o the fnal governors debate

Moderator: What will you do asgovernor to limit college tuitionincreases?

The [Washington state]legislature has tried to mask theeffect of those deep cuts [to highereducation funding] by dramaticallyraising tuition, McKenna said.

He said he would prioritize the$11 billion of new tax revenue overthe next eight years to education bysending two-thirds of that money topublic schools and universities.

Inslee moved away from thesubject and said he would startwith the economy, creating jobs andhealthcare reform. He said the lossin state revenue was responsible forthe rising cost of tuition.

Moderator: How will you providemoney for schools if the economydoes not bounce back in the nexttwo years?

Inslee again said he would lookinto healthcare reform in the stateand reducing ination, but reiteratedhis faith that jobs will come. He saidhis activity with Boeing, Microsoft,apple growers and clean energygave him the experience to be the jobcreator that would bring in revenueto nance education.

McKenna cited the economicforecasts, which predict a 7-percentincrease in state revenue in the nexttwo years, which he said would

be over $2 billion in new revenue.McKenna said there could be upto $11 billion in new revenue overthe next eight-year period, but saidthe key was prioritizing education,which he said the previous 20 years

of administrations did not do.

Moderator: What have you doneto safeguard a womans rightto choose and womens right toemergency contraceptives?

Inslee said McKenna hadnot voiced support for womenshealth access, but McKennapointed out he had, in fact, statedhis support at the last debate.McKenna said he supports thelaws that provide women accessto insurance and emergencycontraceptives. McKenna alsosaid he supported the legislationto require pharmacies to carryemergency contraceptives.

When Inslee responded byaccusing McKenna of beingagainst health insurance covering awomans right to choose, McKennalooked shocked and retorted thathe is against jeopardizing rightsand that Washington state has laws

in place to protect those rights.

A photo in last issue's center spread was mislabeled. The person identied as Kyle Weems is Blake J. Kinnear.

In the story entitled "Academic honesty debate continues" it was suggested that students could give feedback

on the issue at the next Faculty Senate meeting; however, there is no public comment portion of the Faculty

Senate meetings and the issue may not be discussed at the next meeting.

Senior softball player Melissa Becker practices "getting big" on the ball on Monday at Fairhaven Fields. Beckersaid "getting big" on the ball is swinging hard but still practicing correct form by using your hips. The Westernsoftball team plays Saturday at University of Washington in Seattle for an exhibition game. Their season startsFeb. 1 against BYU Hawaii in Hilo, Hawaii. Photo by Nick Gonzales

Find the complete recaponline at

westernfrontonline.net


3/16

News | 3wfli.| Friday, October 19, 2012

By Charmaine Riley

At the beginning of this month, Gov. ChristineGregoire appointed Susan Sharpe, Western alumnaand executive director of the St. Lukes Foundationin Bellingham, to Westerns Board of Trustees.

It is my hope that my experience as an alumni,a parent of Western graduate and my work in thecommunity in a variety of capacities will serve mewell in this new role as a trustee, Sharpe said inan email.

Peggy Zoro,chair of the Boardof Trustees, saidSharpe was chosen

because she has agreat track record of

being committed tothe community.

She has

expressed interestalways in education,in particular withWestern, Zoro said. Susan is respected inWhatcom County and frankly, all over the state forsome of the work that she has done.

Sharpes involvement in the St. LukesFoundation is extensive. As executive director,Sharpe said the foundation works to strengthenthe health of the community through fundinghealth-related projects and health professionalscholarships. They work daily with communityleaders, nonprot organizations and other fundersto identify ways to improve the health and well-

being of the people who live in Whatcom County,Sharpe said.

Gov. Gregoire has also reappointed executiveBetti Fujikado to the Board of Trustees. Her termexpired Sept. 30.

While serving on the board, Sharpe willcover topics such as budget and student affairs,though she is mostly interested in providing goodstewardship of Westerns mission, Zoro said.

A lot of it has to do with becoming moreeducated about Western so were able to provideinsights and thought, Zoro said.

Sharpe is alsocurrently servingon the board of theWhatcom Alliancefor HealthcareAccess, NorthwestEconomic Counciland is a memberof the BellinghamBay Rotary. Sharpe

said these positionsalong with herdedication to the

St. Lukes Foundation have prepared her for theposition on the Board of Trustees.

I hope to provide a local perspective thatsupports Westerns leadership team and fellowTrustees and further the mission of promoting ahigh quality, affordable and accessible educationalexperience, Sharpe said.

Fujikado, who has served on the boardsince 2009, is also the co-founder of the lawfirmCopacino+Fujikado, a Seattle advertising agencythat has represented clients such as Taco Bell,the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Children'sHospital, accroding to their website.

Gov. appoints new Western trustee

Susan Sharpe, newly appointed member of the Boardof Trustees.

Photo courtesy of Western's Office of

Communications and Marketing

At Western, associate professor Holly Folk founda balance of religious and unafliated students oncampus by giving a voluntary, informal survey toher classes over the past ve years.

What Ive found is many students at Westerndo have strong faith commitments, Folk said.There is a sizable number of students who eitherare unchurched, spiritual but not religious, or whohave become either disaffected with religion or whoare going through a process of question, which is

age-appropriate because thats what happens whenpeople hit the age of 18 to 20. Its a time of spiritualexploration.

The Pew Research Center attributes theincrease of unafliated Americans to severalfactors, including generational differences. Thirty-two percent of adults under 30 have no religiousafliation, compared to the 9 percent who are 65 andolder.

As time passes, people accumulate moreknowledge, and they compare this to thingsthey used to think were true, said CaitlynCecchetto, president of Freethinkers of WWU, acampus organization of non-religious students.Every generation is more liberal than the last.Each generation becomes more progressive, and

occasionally that means progressing away fromcertain religious thinking.Despite the downward trend of religious

afliation, some level of religious commitment hasremained constant over the years, according to thePew study. Fifty-eight percent of Americans currentlyacknowledge that religion is very important in theirlives; this is only 3 percent lower than ve yearsago. This number is higher in the U.S. than in othercountries such as France (13 percent).

Brady Bobbink, director of UniversityChristian Ministries at Western, said just becausesome people are not afliated with a large, specicinstitutional religion does not necessarily meanthey do not believe.

In my generation, many people disafliatedwith the denominations we grew up in and sawvalue instead in afliating with smaller localgroups, Bobbink said. It was never a matter ofdisbelief. In fact, I gained faith.

Wendy Britton, co-founder of Seattle Atheists,a group that works to provide a community

for atheists in the Northwest, said Americansare looking less to religion because of the newknowledge modern-day science brings.

Science is slowly closing out the things wedidnt understand, Britton said. In the dark ageswhen we didnt understand something we just said,Thats magic. Now science and experiments areproving and explaining how the world works, andthat is slowly closing out religion.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center, inconjunction with PBS, found many unafliatedAmerican adults are religious or spiritual on somelevel. Sixty-eight percent of them said they believein God, while 37 percent classify themselves asspiritual but not religious. Twenty-one percentsaid they pray daily.

However, evidence shows a slow decline inreligious commitment. In 2003, 25 percent of U.S.adults said they seldom or never attend religiousservices. By 2012, this number rose to 29 percent.

FAITH: Majority of Americans still find religion important

Trends in nation-wide religious affiliation

from 2007 to 2012

Christian

Other faithUnaffiliated

Down

5%Up

4.3%

Up

2%

Illustration by Annie Gaines

Source: Pew Research Center

Western students Josh Terry (left) Jordan Bennett

(center) and Elizabeth Mitchell pray during mass

Thursday at the Newman Center.

Photo by Nick Gonzales

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

I hope to provide a local perspective that

supports Western's leadership t

eam and

ellow Trustees, and urt her the mission o

promoting a high quality, aordable and

accessible educational experience.

Susan Sharpe, newly appointed trustee


4/16

What is it like to come back to your home region,after all of your travels?

Oh there is sometimes a little culture shock inreverse because America is different, a differenttempo. I enjoy being in Europe because Im out ofthe news cycle and everything, so I just like to be

there, focused on Europe. Then when I get home Ienjoy jumping back into things, but its nice to geta break from it. Also, I nd I better understand mysociety when I can look at it from a distance. I cansee it in high contrast.

What kind of contrasts are you seeing betweencountries, other than marijuana laws?

It is clear to me, when I get to Europe thatAmerica works too much. We work ourselvesinto an early grave and Europeans look at us andgo, Whats the point? They just play more, theyproduce a little less than we do but they have morefun along the way.

Where are you from exactly?

Seattle.

Oh, I heard it was Edmonds.It is Edmonds, I say Seattle when Im far away.

This is not far away, so Ill say Edmonds. I have livedthere all my life basically. I work there and I go toEurope three months out of the year. Every yearfor the last 30 years I've spent April and May in theMediterranean area. I come home, June and July andAugust I spend in the alps.

What is the purpose of your coming back toWashington?

Right now I am travelling around the state withthis I-502 tour.

How long is this tour lasting?Seven days. Were going all over the state.

What's your perception of Western so far?

It was a pretty easy crowd. I've come here before,during parents week once I gave a whole talk ondrug policy, about an hour. I come here about oncea year. It was great, a packed house all these parentsand the students. I thought it was kind of interestingthey invited Rick Steves to talk about drug policy forparents weekend.


STEVES: Comeshome on a mission

Rick Steves

McCafferty said he has workedat the center since 2008. The staff wastold the center would close at the endof the year due to the uncertainty offuture funding and the desire forWestern to allocate resources for thecommunitys best interest.

McCafferty said he is exploringhis options for his next career.

The center is primarily funded bystate and local governmental agencies,Burton said.

During the economic downturn inrecent years funders have had to make

basic decisions about what they weregoing to fund, Burton said.

When you get to a point wherepeople have decided that given the

cuts that had to be made, and giventhe decisions that had to be made, thiswas not an essential service to fund,Burton said about the center.

Over the summer, Burton saidhe had discussions with peopleinvolved with economic developmentabout where they needed to focustheir efforts and if they needed to beinvolved with it at all.

It was pretty clear that long-term stable funding sources forwhat the Center for EconomicVitality was doing was going to bevery difficult to find, Burton said.If you dont have funding for anorganization, that organizationsimply cannot go on.

Originally a part of the SmallBusiness Development Center at

Western, in 2008 the decision wasmade to offer services in export andresearch related counseling to small

businesses in Whatcom County,Burton said.

To give this, the Small BusinessDevelopment Center was rebrandedas the Center for Economic Vitality.

They began offering specialists tohelp small businesses, governmentalagencies and economic developmentagencies with export assistance andmarket research.

Then in June 2011, the statestopped funding the marketresearch branch of the center,leaving the export counseling as anoffer to small businesses. Since then,the center has offered the researchprojects at a fee.

Burton said Westerns humanresources staff will be working withMcCafferty and the ve other staffmembers at the center to help themnd a new job.

Burton said he thinks there will beno diminishment in Westerns capacityto offer service to small businesses inWhatcom County.

Westerns current Small BusinessDevelopment Center will continueto offer a variety of services tosmall businesses including exportassistance and other counseling,Burton said.

Going forward, Burton said, Weare going to be going full speed andwe are going to be looking to maintainfunding for our counseling capacityfor the county.

CEV: Employees search for new careers



Rick Steves is the author of 30books.

Since 1973, Steves has spent 120days a year in Europe.

Today he employs 80 peopleat his Europe Through The

Backdoor headquarters wherehe's produced more than 50

guidebooks on European travel.

Photo courtsey of Ricksteves.comSource: Ricksteves.com


5/16

News | 5wfli.|Friday, October 19, 2012

Hal o all adults going mobileMore people 18 years or older using smartphones, tablets

By Maggie Wright

Half of adults in the United States now havemobile access to the Internet via smartphones ortablets, according to a recent study by the PewResearch Center and The Economist Group, anorganization that examines international businessand world affairs.

The number of adults in the U.S. using tabletshave doubled to 22 percent in the past year, accordingto the study. Forty-four percent own a smartphone.

Western freshman Mara Baldwin uses hersmartphone regularly all day, every day, she said.She uses her iPhone to stay connected to currentevents, listen to music and stay in touch with friendsand family.

If I get lost, I can use the GPS, or I can FaceTimemy mom, she said. I love my smartphone.Smartphone users are up from 35 percent in May

2011. The study credits new lower-priced phones andtablets for the expansion in mobile Internet users.

Western junior Thayne Yazzie, a technologyassistant at the Student Technology Center,said his iPhone gives him constant access toinformation and allows him to stay in contactwith friends and professors.

I think it can be very useful, but its a double-edged sword, he said. It might be devastating, or itmight be just as beautiful.

Not all young adults are dependent on mobileInternet. Western sophomore Jeremy Thompsonhas used the same ip phone for the past veyears, and doesnt feel smartphones or tablets arenecessary for him.

Ten years ago, none of this stuff existed,Thompson said. He said he nds the progression ofinstant social communication fascinating, but thinks

it has pros and cons.Ira Hyman, a Western psychology professor,studied inattentional blindness in people whowalk across campus with cell phones or musicplayers. As part of a study he conducted, a clownon a unicycle was put in Red Square. Only 25percent of cell phone users questioned reportedhaving seen it.

[People on cell phones] were slower, theychanged directions and were weaving morefrequently, and were less likely to acknowledge otherpeople around them, Hyman said.

This was not the case with students who werelistening to music, walking in pairs or walking alone.

When people are on their phone, whileperforming other tasks, they dont function as well as

they could if they were focused on one thing, Hymansaid. They dont see things going on right in front ofthem, he said.

Hyman is unsure about the future ofcommunication through electronic media becauseof how much we lose by not communicating face-to-face, such as understanding sarcasm and tone.

While Hyman said ability to pull up informationquickly is an asset, he decided against getting asmartphone because he doesnt want to be availableall the time.

Thompson, Baldwin and Hyman all said peoplesreliance on smartphones and tablets has hinderedtheir interpersonal relationships, despite their manysocial uses.

Yeah, were more connected, but sometimestheres not that face-to-face aspect of humaninteraction, Thompson said.

Western freshman Tegan Harris checks his

iPhone between classes. There are a multitude of

applications available to smartphone-users that

can help organize a busy college life.

Photo by Austin Tyler Towe


6/16


Westerns new ormula racecar

By Haley Cross

For the rst time ever Westernsautomotive engineering team will

build a racecar that will run entirelyon electric power.

It will be a single-seater, opencockpit formula-style and theFormula Society of AutomotiveEngineers (SAE) plans to enter it in acompetition this June.

The competition, designed bySAE International, allows students tohave the opportunity to design, andconstruct the small-scale racecar.

Eric Leonhardt, the facultyadviser for the Western Formula

team and the head of the VehicleResearch Institute said this yearscompetition would be differentthan years past because of the newrequirements.

This is the first year the Societyof Automotive Engineers is holdingan electric version of the contest inthe United States, its been done inEurope but it hasnt been done hereyet, Leonhardt said. We thinkits a good time for Western to beinvolved in that first competition.

The Western Formula SAEteam, which is part of the VehicleResearch Institute, is housed inthe Ross Engineering Technology

building and is an academic club.Chris Jones is a Western senior andthe team leader of the Formula SAEteam this year.

He and his teammates see thecompetition as an opportunity to gainvaluable experience at a young age,which can apply later on in the future.

The purpose of the eventis to educate students about thevehicles, Leonhardt said. [Its]a way to get engineering schoolsto produce graduates who can

be useful to industry, especial lythe automotive industry andincreasingly now the aerospaceindustry.

The Formula team is using

Microryza, a crowdsourcingwebsite, to get funding for theirprojects, Jones said. Jones said inthe Northwest, electric cars have a

big place because of the lower costto operate them.

In other regions, theyllprobably come up with differentsolutions but here in the NorthwestI think the electric car is definitely aviable alternative, Jones said.

Nicholas Conroy is a junior atWestern and is studying electricalengineering technology.

He is also in charge of theelectric engine systems research

and development for the car thisyear.Conroy said electric vehicles are

the future of transportation.

A lithium-ion battery pack costsabout $1,000 per kilowatt -hourand the team needs a four to five-hour kilowatt battery pack for thecompetition and an extra batterypack for testing, Conroy said.

People can give howevermuch they want but the minimumgoal is $8,000. This goal has to bereached otherwise no money will bereceived, Conroy said.

My research is about a low-cost electric powertrain, Conroysaid. So what that means is a wayof having a car powered by anelectric motor and a set of batteries

that doesnt cost an arm and a leg.However, it hasnt been easy tolearn how to do everything it takes

to make electric vehicles and just

about everything Conroy has donewith electric cars hes had to teachhimself.

Electric vehicles and batterytechnology are not really taught atWestern in the electronics course,Conroy said. Im hoping theknowledge I gain through doingthis project can be passed forwardto new people who come on theteam, new people who come toWestern and possibly even start upa few new classes too.

During the actual events,various sponsors of the competitionprovide awards for achievements

such as: best use of E-85 ethanol fuel,innovative use of electronics, abilityto be recycled, crash-worthiness,analytical approach to design andoverall dynamic performance,Conroy said.

Weve won several technicalachievements. The first car weentered into a competition, Viking22, had one really big innovation,Conroy said. It had a cable-actuated, four-wheel steeringsystem and as far as I know its theonly formula car thats ever used asystem like that.

Not only have they won severalachievements but also with theirelectric vehicle, they could behelping make a more sustainablefuture in transportation, Leonhardtsaid.

I think were going to need tohave a large portion of our cars beelectric, Leonhardt said. Whatsexciting about it is that it can help usreduce our dependence on importedoil and itll help us use that oil forother things and itll help us reduceour global warming potential of ourtransportation system and it makes usless sensitive to geopolitical events.

In previous years, usingcombustion engines, Western hashad mixed results in the competition.

They got sixth place inCalifornia in 2009 and eleventhplace in Detroit in 2010.

However, last year they placed27th in California due to suspensionfailure during the endurance event,which cost them.

The Formula SAE competitionfor the teams electric car will beheld June 19 through 22 of next yearin Lincoln, Neb.

Top: Western junior Nicholas Conroylabels dead batteries preparing tomake a fully electric car, Wednesdayin the Technology Building. Conroyis a member of the Formula Societyof Automotive Engineers on campus.Photo by Rachel Howland

Bottom: Western junior NicholasConroy describes how old projectsfor the Formula SAE Team weredifferent. This year, Western willproduce a fully electric car.Photo by Rachel Howland

Rules now require vehicles to run fully electric


7/16

News | 7wfli.|Friday, October 19, 2012

By Maggie Wright

Families will now nd it easier togure out how much they will haveto pay out-of-pocket after nancialaid and scholarships thanks to a newmodel of nancial aid award letterscalled the Shopping Sheet.

It will offer vital information aboutmedian debt levels for the school andallows recipients to compare prices

between schools in detail, according tothe ofcial blog of the U.S. Departmentof Education.

In July, the Obama administration

released this model and will standardizethe format and information includedin nancial aid award letters.

It includes a breakdown ofaverage costs for a full year at aparticular school, loan default rates,loan and work-study options, grants,scholarships and potential monthlypayments.

Westerns Executive Directorof Admissions and Financial Aid,Clara Capron, chose not to adopt theShopping Sheet at Western becauseshe said the award letters Westernprovides already do a good job ofproviding consumer information.

However, Capron plans to

modify the current format andsaid the Shopping Sheet may be animprovement for students who dontclearly provide adequate nancialinformation.

Were preparing to add additionalinformation to our award letter format,typical amount that students borrow,loan default rate, graduation rate, toprovide all of the information includedon the Shopping Sheet by the end ofthe quarter, Capron said in an email.

While net price-calculators, anonline device that offers customizedapproximations of college costs based

on standardized inputs such as familysize and savings have been requiredon websites for almost all colleges inthe U.S. since October 2011, they areoften buried and difcult to nd anduse, according to a press release fromthe Institute for College Access andSuccess.

It can be very frustrating to notknow where your money is going,Western junior Emily Anguiano said.

Western freshman Haley Douglassaid it has been difcult at times for herto get nancial aid.

Im just going in and out, in andout of the nancial aid ofce trying toget help. It would be really nice to have

it all organized, Douglas said.The Shopping Sheet is voluntary

for colleges to participate in, accordingto an open letter to college presidents

by the U.S. Secretary of Education,Arne Duncan.

In order to meet our national goalof producing the highest proportionof college graduates by the end of thisdecade, we must make it easier for

parents and students to nance theircollege education and to understandtheir nancial obligations. It starts withtransparency, said Duncan in a letterto college presidents.

It is unclear at this time whetherthe Shopping Sheet will be tailoredfor each particular student and theirprojected degree, or if each school willoffer a generic version.

Shopping Sheet deciphers college cost

Keely Flege (left) and Alex Ferrel help a Western student with FAFSA paperworkon Thursday, March 8 in the Financial Aid Office. The Obama administration hasproposed a new Shopping Sheet to provide clearer information to studentsabout the cost of education. Photo by Laura Going

Western may take hintsfrom new Obama model


8/16

Friday, October 19, 2012| The Western Front8| Sp

By Alex Peterson

Westerns mens dunk contest was the main eventduring a night dedicated to showcasing talent andadding some air.

The 26th Annual Viking Jam is the kick-off toWestern's basketball season. During the event, themen's and women's basketball teams had intrasquadscrimmages, as well as dunk and three-pointcompetitions. This year offered a unique experience,as the men's basketball team celebrated its 2011-12national championship.

During the dunk contest, participants fromWesterns mens basketball team were given twominutes to complete two dunks Wednesday at SamCarver Gym.

Freshman Dana Abe started the rst roundwith a 360-degree Statue of Liberty dunk off analley-oop by freshman guard Jimmy Keum. Abes

s e c on dwas a windmill dunk.Keums outstretched han

Last year's dunk chabrought electricity to talley-ooped to himself.it the Dallas Disaster.360-degree slam, titled the

Junior Austin Bragg salley-oop to himself and slam, but his second dunkJunior Richard Woodworthof the backboard to Bragg,two-handed slam.

I had a few (dunks)For the most part it was

Sophomore Anye Tur

By Alex Peterson

A squad divided takes the court.Western's men's basketball team

was showered with cheers andapplause from the crowd when ithit the court for its annual blue vs.white scrimmage. Smiles all around,Vikings decided it was time to puton a show for fans Wednesday night

during its intrasquad scrimmage atthe 26th Annual Viking Jam.

And what a show they put on.The men came out quick, ying

up and down the oor in a scrimmageruled by ashy moves and big shots.Rico Wilkins stole the ball on a lazypass and nished with a big dunk,showing his jumping ability andteasing the crowd before the dunk

contest.Im ready to get [the season]

started, Wilkins said.Senior guard John Allen hit

players with perfect passes, showingwhy he earned the nickname, "TheWizard." Robert Oliver showed hisdefensive prowess by stealing apass and running it down court forthe nishing slam, displaying his

eagerness to start the season.Transfer student Austin Bragg

showed off his skillset by collectinga steal, and freshman Dana Abe,Jimmy Keum, Jeffrey Parker andJoey Schreiber also had someplaying time.

Weve got a really good groupof guys, Bragg said. Im reallyexcited about this year.

Men show off high-flying offense in team scrimmage

Dunkerssteal show

Viki

Senior guard Trishi Williams attacks thebasket in the annual Viking Jam scrimmagematch Wednesday in Sam Carver Gym.Photo by Austin Tyler Towe

Senior guard John Allen gives a pep talk to his squad before their blue vs. white scrimmage during Viking

Jam Wednesday night. Allen is one of many returning starters ready to defend their Division II Nationalchampionship title. Photo by Austin Tyler Towe

Junior forward Austin Bragg throws down during the slam-dunk contest at VikingJam Wednesday night. Despite a crowd-pleasing effort, Bragg fell short and lost todunk champion Rico Wilkins. Photo by Austin Tyler Towe


9/16

| 9wfli. | Friday, October 19, 2012rts

By Chelsea Murphy

Amidst the fun and flair ofthe 26th Annual Viking Jam, amoment of pause overtook theevent halfway through to celebratelast years national championship

basketball team.Players watched as a table

holding national championshipring boxes was carried to the centerof the court. The men stood in aline near the table, anticipating thenights highlight the nationalchampionship ring ceremony.

Each player in attendance wasindividually recognized, and cheersfrom the fans followed every namethat was called. Smiles were on thefaces of the players and coaches asthey entered the court.

I walked into the gym and therewere already fans, said RichardWoodworth, mens basketballteam guard. I turned to one of myteammates and said, man it feelsgood to be on the court again withthe gym packed. It was really niceto have people cheer for us.

Woodworth, guard AlfredDavis, guard Cameron Severson,forward Damien Fisher, guard

Dane Thorpe, center Dan Young,guard Rico Wilkins, forward PaulJones, center Chris Mitchell andguard John Allen will all receiverings for their contributions to lastyears national title.

Team captain Rory Blanche,among a few other members of lastyears team were unable to attendthe ceremony.

Brad Jackson, coach of Western'smen's basketball team for 27 years,was at the event and was recognizedduring the ceremony.

In August, Jackson resigned

from Western and announced hisnew position as assistant coach atthe University of Washington.

It was a difcult decision forme in a lot of ways, Jackson said.But, its a new opportunity and Iam looking forward to it.

Jackson was replaced by formerassistant coach Tony Dominguez.

I hoped that when I left he wouldbe the next coach, Jackson said. Heis a brilliant, young basketball mind.He will do an awesome job.

Dominguez has been part of theWestern basketball program for 17years and an assistant coach for thelast two seasons.

Jackson joined Dominguez andthe mens team on the sideline afterthe ceremony to watch the slam-dunk competition, and he stayedwith the team until events of thenight were finished.

It was really fun to have CoachJackson come up for the ceremony,Woodworth said. It meant a lot.

dunke took the ball out offor the dunk.

pion, senior Rico Wilkins,e competition when heThe announcer deemedHe followed it up with a"Dallas Dime."econded Wilkins with anished off with a windmill

was the true showstopper.passed the ball off the sidewho grabbed the ball for a

planned out, Bragg said.ade up on the spot.er, Keum and freshman

Jeffrey Parker also participated in the rstround. Turner, Bragg and Wilkins advanced to

the nal round.

Bragg threw down an electrifying between-the-legs dunk on his third attempt in the nals, raisingthe stakes for Turner and Wilkins. Turner attempteda couple behind-the-back passes to himself, butcouldnt get his dunks to fall. He settled for a simplewindmill dunk.

The barely 6-foot Wilkins was the one everyonewas waiting for. Last year's dunk champion had thecrowd on the edge of its seat when he passed the

ball off the wall behind the basket to himself, buthe failed in his rst three attempts. Taking a deep

breath, Wilkins passed the ball off the wall andnished with a windmill jam to take home the 2012Viking Jam Slam Dunk crown with a perfect score.

I tried [the winning dunk] my freshman year andI couldnt make it, Wilkins said. I thought Id try itagain, and it worked out, nally.

Ring ceremony celebrateslast years national title

gJamA

al

Western senior Rico Wilkins catches air during the slam-dunk contest at VikingJam Wednesday night. Wilkins went on to win the competition with a set ofimpressive dunks that had the crowd on their feet. Photo by Austin Tyler Towe

Senior guard Cameron Severson, senior forward Paul Jones and redshirtjunior guard Richard Woodworth celebrate during the ring ceremony at

Viking Jam. Photo by Austin Tyler Towe

Former men's basketball head coach

Brad Jackson came back to Western to

handout National championship rings to

his players at Viking Jam. Jackson has

taken an assistant coaching position at

the University of Washington.

Photo by Austin Tyler Towe


10/16

10 | Sports Friday, October 19, 2012| The Western Front

SaturdayFriday

Home

Away

Cross Country

Great Northwest

Athletic Conference

Championships

10:30 a.m.

Monmouth, Ore.

Women's

Soccer

Northwest

Nazarene

Noon

Nampa, Idaho

Men's Soccer

Northwest

Nazarene

3 p.m.

Nampa, Idaho

Women's

Volleyball

Northwest

Nazarene

7 p.m.

Sam Carver

Gym

Sunday TuesdayMonday

Men's Basketball

Blue/White

3 p.m.

Sam Carver Gym

Men's Golf

Cal State Monterey

Bay

Seaside, Calif.

Bayonet Golf Club

Men's Golf

Cal State Monterey

Bay

Seaside, Calif.

Bayonet Golf Club

By Joshua Hart

Western's womens soccer teamentered Thursdays meeting withMontana State-Billings riding aseven-game shutout streak, andMontana State couldnt stop itseighth.

The Vikings (13-2) defeated

Montana State (11-4) 2-0 Thursdayin Billings, Mont.Arthurs 12th shutout of the

season broke her own single-seasonrecord of 11 shut outs, which she setthe last two seasons. She accountedfor three saves in the victory.

Shes the leader on the fieldwhether or not she has to makethose amazing saves or not,Western junior Brina Sych said.

Arthurs leads all Division IIgoalkeepers with a 0.27 goals allowedper game this season.

Western's Kim Cooper scoredthe first goal of the game with eightseconds left in the first half, beatingthe buzzer to put the Vikings up 1-0heading into the half.

The goal came off a corner kickand after bouncing around in thebox, Cooper got a foot on it andfinished it off.

It was a really good way to endthe half, Sych said. We neededthat extra momentum.

Western went up 2-0 after a strikefrom Sych beat Montana Statesgoalkeeper in the 56th minute.

I just took a couple touchesand just ripped in front of the net,Sych said.

The win keeps the 25-rankedVikings atop the Greater NorthwestAthletic Conference, and in positionto move up in the national rankings.

The Vikings face NorthwestNazarene Saturday in Nampa,Idaho.

Womens soccer

keeps winningstreak alive

By Kamry Mcrae

The Western men's soccer teamlost to Montana State-Billings 2-1Thursday in Billings, Mont.

The loss pushes Western (5-7-2) to fth in the Great NorthwestAthletic Conference standingsoneposition below Montana State (8-4-1).

Both times we played them thisyear, I thought we outplayed them,sophomore goalkeeper KeeganRogers said. I think we defensivelydeserve the number four spot in theGNAC as of right now.

The action began in the secondperiod when Sujinda Dangvan scoredWestern's rst goal on a penalty kick inthe 86th minute, tying the score 1-1. Itwas Dangvans sixth goal of the season.

Western maintained control ofthe ball for most of the game, butmade a few mistakes defensively,Rogers said. Montana State brokethe tie in overtime, handing Westernits seventh loss of the season.

I dont think that guy could hitthat shot again if you gave him 100chances, senior defenseman BryanHall said. It was impressive.

Western outshot Montana State16-11 in the game, and Rogerscollected two saves and gave uptwo goals. Despite having a losingrecord, Western has still outscoredits opponents 17-16 this season,although they have been outscored12-7 in the second half.

Senior defenseman Justin Moorethought they should have won.

One of the things about socceris that youve got to play your bestfor 90 minutes of the game and oneslip and you can lose the game,Moore said.

Mens soccer falls in overtime

By Alex Peterson

The Vikings shirts read, DigPink, for breast cancer awareness,

but at the end of the night, fans werecelebrating a blue and white victory.

The 14th ranked Western volleyballteam (16-2, 9-1 Great NorthwestAthletic Conference) defeated 21st-

ranked Central Washington University(14-5, 8-2 GNAC) 25-19, 25-20 and 25-18 to take sole possession of rst placein the GNAC.

Im not sure we saw the ranking,so much as we saw that it was Central,Western coach Diane Flick said. Its a

big rivalry, theyre a great team.The Vikings controlled the rst set

after Central Washingtons Catie Frywent down with a leg injury. Western's

Jennica McPherson slammed home anace to put Western up 13-10, but theWildcats clawed back to tie the rstset at 13. Emily Cotter had two bigdigs as the Vikings went on anotherscoring run to take the lead 18-14.Central Washington was unable tomake another comeback, and Western

won the set 25-19.[Central Washington] had to play

through some adversity, Flick said."Which is really hard to do when youvegotten used to a lineup for a long time.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair that remained tiedfor much of the set. Outside hitterMarlayna Geary and Kayla Erickson

had a big block to keep the set tied atthree. Another ace from McPhersonand a powerful kill from ThunderGeary kept the Vikings close with theset tied at 18. Western went on a ve-point streak and the Wildcats failedto recover, giving another set to theVikings, 25-20.

Western jumped out to a 5-0 leadin the third set, but the Wildcats madeanother comeback closing the scoreto a 9-6 Vikings lead. A stalematefollowed, with neither team going ona commanding run. Two big kills fromErickson brought the Vikings ahead,17-13. The match point was a battleas both teams had a couple big digsto keep the ball alive, but Western'sKelsey Moore was nally able to clinch

the Western sweep with a kill.It makes us the only rst team in

the GNAC, Moore said. It feels likewere where we are supposed to be.

Volleyball avengesonly GNAC loss

Western senior Marlayna Geary spikesthe ball toward a pair of CentralWashington University defenders athome in Sam Carver Gym Thursday

night. Photo by Austin Tyler Towe.


11/16

Opinion| 11wfli.| Friday, October 19, 2012

Front Funnies

submissions Policy

The Western Front publishes submitted opinion items on aspace-available basis.

We reserve the right to edit for length, spelling, style andgrammar.Submit letters to the editor, rants and raves, Hey Yous andguest columns, along with your name and title (such asWestern sophomore)to [email protected] letters or those containing hate speech will notbe published.

Word count limits

Rants and raves, Hey Yous: 50 words;Letters to the editor: 250 words;Guest columns: 400 words

VikingVoicesOpinions from around campus

"I miss hot meals every night. Now I

actually have to make food myself."

Anthony Cooper

sophomore,

undecided

FrontlineOpinions of the Editorial Board

This letter is in response to an articlefrom Tuesday's issue of the Western Front,"Households with college debt double."

Higher education isnt a simplesupply-and-demand formula. The lackof reference to the last few years makesProfessor Kriegs comments publishedin the Tuesday issue of the Front not

just factually inaccurate, but completelyignores the work we do in the AssociatedStudents to reverse the deleterious cuts tohigher-education funding experienced bythe state. More than $1 billion have beencut from higher education, and it is thesecuts that are responsible for our tuitionincreases and corresponding debt, not a

marginally increased campus population.The cost of education for a student hasstayed steady for decades and adjustedfor ination, the issue is whos paying forit. More of the cost has been shifted ontostudents and their families, and we arestruggling to keep up.

Higher prices for higher educationparticularly affect rst-generationstudents, low-income students andstudents of color. Student debt is a drainon the economy, reducing the purchasingpower of students who must now spendyears paying off their debt instead of

buying goods to help our economy thrive.The best form of nancial aid is low

tuition, and to achieve that is to make surethe state is funding their responsibility.Our legislative liaison spends all of winterquarter down in Olympia ghting forstudents, and I go down as needed withinterested students to testify and meetwith legislators.

Debt is a troubling issue, but anissue that has clear connections to whatsdecided in Olympia. If students areinterested in keeping tuition low, we needto call, email and meet with our legislators.Our parents must do the same. I am surestudents will take the opportunities tomobilize this year and ght for a betterfuture for current students and those whofollow after us, and the opportunities will

be many.Those who are interested can email

[email protected] to start takingpart in setting the direction of our future, andI can always be reached at [email protected]. Our future is ours, and we shouldnt letit be burdened by a cloud of debt.

Patrick Stickney, vice president forGovernmental Affairs.

lettertothe editor

More students notreason for high debt

As technology moves forward,some people become more privilegedwith better access to knowledge.Others become alienated because ofa lack of access.

Though technology offersimmediate information and anexpanse of knowledge, it could also

be detrimental to people who cannotafford it. In a time when technologyis moving so quickly, some peopleget left behind.

Half of United States adultshave a mobile connection to the webthrough tablets and smartphones,

according to a recent study by thePew Research Center.In schools and companies,

access to technology is becoming anexpectation. While this editorial boardsupports the advance of technology,we don't want those who can't afford

it to be left behind. Only half of thepopulation can be expected to havethe necessary resources.

Students and workers who donthave the money to purchase tabletsand other devices are unable to checktheir email every few minutes, butthis is quickly becoming necessaryfor an individuals success in schooland work.

We as an editorial boardsupport the use of increasingtechnological resources, though wedont nd it fair that technology isstandard in classes when there is

an unequal amount of people ableto access it. The solution would befor the institutions and companiesrequiring such to also provide.

Woodring College of Education isan example. They proposed to bringApple products into the curriculum.

This past winter, Woodring requestedgrants to purchase iPads for thestudents to use. The reason for thiswas that future teachers needed to

be educated in how to use moderntechnology.

All departments and companiesshould create opportunities forstudents and employees to haveaccess to the technology. If learningor working on an iPad is going to bestandard, the technology shouldnt

be expected but offered.Its important that no one gets

forgotten. In the university and

within society, we need to stop thegrowing gap between people withand people without technology.

The editorial board is comprisedof Editor-in-Chief Sarah Aitchison,

Managing Editor James Kozanitis andOpinion Editor Joella Ortega.

"Having my own space and being

able to be by myself and relax. Most-

ly just my own personal space."

"My family. Just hanging out and

having dinners together, because

we're close."

Logan Sims

freshman,

undeclared

Stephanie Gastaldi

senior,

sociology

Technology standard may become unair to students

What do you miss most about home when you're at school?Compiled by Lauren Foote

CartoonbyOwenWhitcomb


12/16

12| Features Friday, October 19, 2012| The Western Front

An everyday object becomes a canvasBy Lauren FootePhotos by Nick Gonzales

A variety of warm colors,acutely detailed, resemble the sun-like Sublime band logo, take overa plain colored shoe. For Westernsophomore Leona Oliveros, this is

just one of the 20 or so colorful pairsof shoes she has painted to perfectionto match its owners character.

Her shoe art began hersophomore year of high school inDes Moines, Wash. She continues hershoe artwork at Western.

Oliveros charges $25 for a pair ifthe customer provides the shoes. Ifnot, she bills the shoe cost on top ofthe design rate. She uses her acrylicpaints on canvas shoes such as Keds,Vans and Toms, but she said somecustomers just bring her the cheapestpair they can nd.

Oliveros shoe art journey beganwith a pair of Keds she found atGoodwill. They were her size and

brand-new; a rare nd in a thriftshop. The only problem was she

thought the color was hideous andmost likely the reason they ended up

in the thrift shop. Instead of givingup, she took the pair home andcreated her rst shoe art project, aremake of Van Goghs "Starry Night."

Im kind of a thrift-store junkie,so if I nd a pair of canvas shoes,Im like Im going to turn this intosomething else, Oliveros said.

Oliveros makes shoe artfor herself, friends and payingcustomers. She immediately getsstarted painting the canvas shoeswhen she gets a request. When shenishes, she ships them off to theirowner. Some customers on herFacebook page, Leona's PaintedShoes, have shown concern aboutpaint wearing-off the shoes, butOliveros paints over the nal producta few times with a water resistanttopcoat to ensure the art remainsafter wearing.

Oliveros and her roommate,Rebecca Wood, found a commoninterest in artist Salvador Dali, leadingWood to request Dalis artwork on her

shoes. Oliveros painted a Persistenceof Memory inspired design on

Woods pair of shoes.Oliveros has learned promotingher artwork is tough, but she does dospecial orders for shoes through theFacebook page she created last year.Her shoe designs include anythingfrom Dr. Seuss-themed shoes, toPokmon, to mustaches anythingthe customer wants.

Im at this point right nowthat even people Ive never met areasking me for orders through theFacebook and thats really exciting,Oliveros said.

She considers herself new to thebusiness process because she is stilllearning how to network. Oliverossaid she hopes she will make theright connections and broadenawareness of her shoe art.

It started off just for fun; itskind of my vice, Oliveros said. Itsa stress relief for me to paint shoes,whether it be for money or not I

just like it; i ts real ly fun for me.Oliveros' boyfriend Nick Wees

has a personalized shoe done upwith music notations. He described

the shoe as very detailed and welldone, painted up as a music sheet ofJohn Coltranes Giant Steps.

She is a very creative personin everything she does, Wees said.Shes an artist and she paints shoes

but shes also a musician. She playssaxophone.

Acrylic paintings on shoes areher specialty, but her artistic talentsare not limited. She has created awallet out of Kit Kat wrappers forWees and an origami paper walletfor herself. She has also createdornaments; one is adorned withAnchorman Ron Burgandy. She hascustom-painted a long board withStar Wars' R2D2, followed up by aStar Wars painting on a 24X21 inchcanvas.

She is a totally original person,in everything; the way she dresses,she thinks creatively and expressesherself, Wood said. Shes totallydifferent from anyone else Ive evermet, in a good way.

Left: Sophomore English major Leona Oliveros puts painter's tape on a pair of Ked shoes before painting them. "I like to imitate famous paintings and cartoons," Oliverossays. "It's what I like to do the most." Top right: Leona Oliveros says she painted her Altoids shoes during her senior year of high school. Bottom right: Leona Oliverosimitates Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" painting on a pair of her roommate's shoes. Oliveros says she charges $25 for a pair.


13/16

Features | 13wfli.|Friday, October 19, 2012

By Charmaine Riley

Warm summer air still lingered on theground while the last boxes werecrammed into the car that early

September morning. After one last run throughher bedroom, it was time for Tallis Loy, a newlyadmitted Western student, to leave for college andsay goodbye to her loved ones.

Before walking out the door, Loy bent down

and gave her Great Dane, Strider, a hug. She knewit was going to be a long time before she saw herbeloved dog again.

When students head off to school every fall,they are not only leaving behind family andfriends, but sometimes their precious pets.

One of the most important things to rememberwhen leaving a pet is to keep them informed bytelling them about the upcoming changes, AngiLenz, owner and lead trainer at Tails-A-Wagging inBellingham, said in an email.

Tell the dog what is going on. Yes, withhuman words. Although they cannot understandthe words, they can understand tone and mentalimages when you speak, Lenz said.

With two Bichons named Bear and Missy athome, freshman Jazzy Smith is adjusting to lifewithout her pets.

I really miss them, Smith said. But when Iwent home, they were just really chill and didntseem like they missed me much.

Students arent the only ones who may feela heavy heart when apart from their cheerfulcompanions.

Junior Nathan Bakken lives in an apartmentthat doesnt allow pets. He wishes he could bringhis two English Springer Spaniels to Western.While Bakken cant have his dogs with him atschool, their reaction to his coming home isamusing, he said.

When I go and sit down on the couch theyjump on my lap and climb on my face, Bakkensaid. They are just very active and think theyrelap dogs.

When pets are separated from someone theyare attached to, they may have noticeable behaviorchanges, said Teresa Seeley, veterinary technicianat Lacey Animal Clinic. She said changes includegoing into hiding, destroying things and decreasedappetite, which are all signs of a pet havingseparation problems.

If its the case of a student going off to college,its just the other family members spending moretime with the pet, Seeley said. If it was strictlythe college students pet then you need to ndsomeone else in the family thats going to spendtime with it.

Lisa Hranek, a veterinary technician at SouthBay Veterinary Hospital said there are also medical

ways to help a pet cope. Pets with severe anxietyshould be taken to the vet, but teaching them to

be comfortable in a kennel also helps pets withanxiety when no one is home, Hranek said.

Most of all, animals benet our emotionalstate. Studies have shown that owning a pet lowersstress and anxiety, Hranek said.

Adjusting to life in residence halls can bedifcult for students because of the strict rulesregarding animals, Loy said. All pets, except sh,are prohibited in the rooms, according to WesternsResidential Community Handbook.

For Loy, the longing for home came whenshe found out her Great Dane passed away a fewweeks ago. The hardest part was being away from

her family but she had to nd a way to cope withthe death, she said.

I gave myself an hour or two to cry and Skypemy family, Loy said. After I let it all out, I wentwith my roommate and I worked out, got somethingto eat, got some fresh air and I felt a lot better.

For students who may experience a similarloss, Loy offered advice on how to get througha pets passing while away from home. Dealingwith emotions by staying in touch with family

and letting sadness happen is important forcoping, Loy said. She also said it is essential tostay active by going out and doing something,instead of staying inside.

Senior Tiffany Dencheld, who lives offcampus, brings her dog, Girl, to campus when shestudies. Dencheld said her pet makes her happyand helps her de-stress by giving her a reason totake a break from studying.

I have to go out and play with her to help herget exercise, Dencheld said.

Because pets are forbidden in the closeconnes of the residence halls and at many off-campus apartments, Western alumna Emily Wysssuggested volunteering. Wyss is currently thevolunteer coordinator at the Whatcom Humane

Society. She said there are plenty of volunteeropportunities for students at local shelters toconnect with a furry friend.

When I was in the dorms I remember missingmy pets at home, Wyss said. It is great forstudents to get connected and stay connected toanimals while at school.

As the color of the leaves change on the trees,and most students look forward to a home-cooked,all-you-can-eat holiday meal many will lookforward to reuniting with their family members whether they are on two legs or four.

In the past, they were used for work andprotection but now they have become part ofpeoples families, Hranek said.

Western senior Tiffany Denchfield plays with her dog, Girl, Monday in the Communication Lawn. Denchfieldsays she and her boyfriend bought Girl last August. Photo by Rachel Howland

Pets, students

may get anxiouswhen parting

Humane Society, Williamson Way Shelter:3710 Williamson Way

Humane Society, Baker Creek Shelter:1661 Baker Creek Place

Petco:189 East Bakerview Rd.

Petsmart:4379 Meridian St.

Clark Feed & Seed:1326 Railroad Ave.

Exotic Aquaria:3036 Northwest Ave.

Places to buy a pet in Bellingham


14/16

14 | Features Friday, October 19, 2012| The Western Front

Inches rom the groundBy Samantha Thompson

Photos by Austin Tyler Towe

Two cars in a Starbucks parkinglot display stickers fastened low ontheir windshields, emblazoned withmessages such as Gangnam Style andTailored Gang. Both cars are gray, likethe pavement below or the overcast skyabove. But what truly separates themfrom the rest of the cars in the parkinglot is they both hover just inches abovethe asphalt, the bottom of the car nearlytouching the road.

Western students Kee May,Naveed Nacy and Julian Gossagehave spent hours dismantling and

redesigning these cars, bringing themlower and lower to the ground. Thestyle is called slammed, but despitethe speed implied in the name andthe aerodynamic appearance of suchlow suspension, these cars are not forracing. For these Western students, itsall about looks.

Its just aesthetically somethingwere interested in, its a hobby we liketo put our time into, Nacy said. We

just kind of want to get the message outthat [slammed cars] are not out there tostreet race or cause trouble.

Most of the drivers he sees orthe people he meets at car showsare college-age, despite the nancesand expertise required to slam a car,Nacy said.

About $1,000 goes into the process,

Nacy said, although theres a lot of

preliminary work that leads up tothat ride height, in addition to theextra price of any customizations orenhancements. Most of the slammedcar drivers in Bellingham, about 60 to70 he estimates, are still in their teensor early 20s. Some of these drivers havegiven the slammed car community a

bad reputation because slamming carsisnt about ashiness or drag racing andis instead about the work put into them.Nacy said.

There are two ways to achievethis low effect, May said. The rst iscalled static, meaning the car cannotrise up or be lowered. The second

method allows for more mobility. Someslammed cars can be lifted, creatinga different riding experience wherethe driver can move up and downas they travel by pressing buttons ona controller. Both May and Gossageopted to have static cars, but they arentstopping there.

You get addicted to going lower,[to] always adding something toyour car, to starting a new project,Gossage said.

Gossage wants to sell his slammedcar and start again, although hesaid there isnt much of a market forslammed cars in Bellingham. They areseen more often on the streets of bigcities, such as the metropolitans in Japanwhere the style originated, May said.

That is one of the divides between

slammed cars and low-riders. AtWestern, the M.E.Ch.A. club hosts acar show every year, but their focusis on low-riders. Low-riders also relyon different methods to achieve theirheight. Nacy said slammed-car driversare generally younger, but not only is ita different environment than slammedcars, low-riders generally use hydraulicsor an air-bag system to drop the car,Nacy said.

Bellingham has Tailored Gang forthe slammed car scene. Tailored Gang isa group of guys who slam cars togetherand it is the name they gave themselvesfor when they go to car shows. Nacysaid Tailored Gang is a way to presenta unied, cohesive crew at car shows,

but also a way for the guys and girlsto advertise their work and share withthe community. On Facebook, TailoredGang has garnered more than 1,500 fanswho can see photos of the groups work,watch videos of the cars on the road, or

buy Tailored Gang Tee-shirts.Were just a group of friends who

decided to put together a team, saidNacy. Were just a group of guys whohave a similar interest, and this waywere unied.

Tailored Gang has a lot ofsupporters, but the response amongtheir friends is mixed. Some people ndthe style pointless, and some peopleare impressed, but how their work isperceived is not what pushes thesedrivers to lower their cars, Kee-Maysaid. The reward for the hours spentwith their cars jacked up, tires off andthe suspension pulled out is simplyknowing they are able to slam cars

and seeing how the ride looks whenits done. The cars represent a level ofdedication and responsibility that manypeople strive to emulate.

Its just like a lifestyle, May said.Still, despite all the likes on

Facebook and the commitment requiredto accomplish slamming, the cars stillhave dissenters. May and Gossage saidpeople have yelled at them or giventhem thumbs down as they drive past

because they dont like the cars. EvenGossages girlfriend has urged him to

buy a truck and replace his car.Gossage has had problems with

the police too; he said cops have pulledhim over about 10 times in the last year.Gossage said they will hassle him

because his car is so low.These are minor problems

compared to the limited routes availableto slammed-car drivers in Bellingham.

While tires usually hoist a car farenough off the ground to make eventhe most unpaved street navigable,slammed cars offer no such protection.Since the underside of the vehicle is soclose to the ground, its more vulnerableto any dangers on the road, such asspeed bumps, sewer caps, potholes andthe C-lots here on campus.

Also off-limits is Fred Meyers,most of High Street, Garden Street andIndian Street, May said. The roads are

just too uneven, inclined or coarse,meaning slammed-car drivers haveto carefully plan their routes and beprepared to walk if they want to protectthe delicate mechanics beneath their car.

Despite their limitations, thecars are still expensive. Gossage saidhis oil-pan was broken at least eighttimes while he was driving, and hehas to spend money on replacing hisoil every few weeks in addition towhatever he spends upgrading orreinventing the car.

If you have money and yourewilling to be patient and dedicate yourmoney to your car, [then slammedcars are worth it,] Gossage said. Ifyou dont have a job, if you dont havesteady income, you probably shouldntget one.

Gossage and May learned mostof the techniques online and now are

able to completely disassemble andreconstruct their own cars. Passingthese lessons on is something Gossagecannot and will not do Gossagesaid its something people have to dothemselves to learn. Still, its a skillthey encourage people to acquire,

because building a slammed car is somuch more gratifying than simplyowning one.

I wouldnt say [slamming carsis] for attention, because I dont reallylike when people know what car Idrive, Gossage said. Its for my ownsatisfaction, like I built that.

Redesigning cars to ride as low as possible

Western student Julian Gossage's Acura TSX leaves little room for error, riding justbarely off the ground. Common problems resulting from such extreme fitment aredented and cracked oil pans, ruined exhaust pipes and scraped bumpers.

An iPhone rests against the front bumper of another local lowered car, a SubaruWRX. Though not nearly as low as some, less than half of the phone's length is allthat separates this car from the road.


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By Olivia Henry

On a soggy Saturday morning, a

group of students gathered for class.Loaded backpacks, drowsy eyes andclutched coffee cups were nowhereto be found. Instead, bright-eyed,silver-haired pupils bantered andmade small talk, not a notebook orraised pen in sight. Dorothy Regal,90, was downright chipper. She saidshe is glad to forfeit her weekends toeducation.

Every day is a Saturday morningin our lives, she said.

Regal is one of more than 400students attending courses this fallthrough the Academy for LifelongLearning, a continuing education

program for retirees. Local volunteers,paired with Westerns ExtendedEducation ofce, sponsor about 25courses offered around Bellinghameach semester. Administrativecoordinator Alisyn Maggiora said theprogram draws senior citizens fromWhatcom and Skagit counties as wellas other surrounding regions.

In this culture some people getso stuck in the rut of going to workevery day. When they retire, peoplemay nd the abrupt change difcult

because theyre not going, going,going anymore, Maggiora said.[Lifelong Learning] is a great thingto support because it allows people tokeep their minds active.

Courses

Regal and her friend MaggieWeisberg are fellow residents atWillows Bellingham RetirementLiving. The two women braved therain to attend Western professorAlex Czopps course Persuasionand Social Inuence. Weisberg, 88,sported a large Obama button. Likemany participants, she cited the Nov.6 election as one of the reasons shetook the class.

Im always interested in how Ican persuade people without a knock-out ght, Weisberg said.

Fall classes range from Czoppspersuasion course to lessons on locallichen, the art of Japanese tea serviceand social media morays. Westernalumna and media consultant EvelynTurner hosts Friend Me, Tweet Me,Like Me, an introductory course onsocial networking.

Its to help people understandwhy, when they call little Sarah,she doesnt pick up, but when theytext her she responds right away,

Maggiora said.Student Phyllis Haberstroh

pursued classes on the naturalenvironment rather than the digitalone. She and two dozen other studentscrammed into a Garden Street churchhall Monday for Weather or Not,a course on weather patterns. Pupilsabandoned their chairs to gatheraround instructor Lloyd George ashe simulated a cold front in a glassterrarium.

Haberstroh, formerpsychotherapist, said she relishes thelearning opportunities that expandher horizons.

Its the most stimulatingconcept; being able to learn aboutthings I never understood,"Haberstroh said.

StudentsThe academy registers

more than 1,500 students a yearfor classes, board chairmanBill Radock said. Most are notreturning to the classroom for lackof education in fact, Radocksaid a survey of members found

between 50 and 60 percent alreadyhold advanced degrees.

Many students said continuingeducation allowed them to expandtheir knowledge after years ofworking a single career.

Regal is a retired nurse and saidit was the only career available toher when she graduated from highschool in 1938, apart from teachingor secretarial work. After retiring,Regal became a poet. Her collectionA Measure of Strength waspublished in August.

My old age has been the besttime of my life, Regal said. I [do]things I never did in my former life.

Other students were lessenthusiastic about retirement.

Betti Jordan, 66, was downsizedfrom her job after 35 years workingin the mental health profession. Out

of a job, she and her husband travelregularly from Oak Harbor to attendclasses in Bellingham.

Jordan admitted she gets alittle bored.

Im trying to nd new people tomeet and new things to do, she said.

The classroomRadock said he feared boredom

when he retired. To combat the post-employment blues, he and his wifemoved to Bellingham in 2008 to becloser to the vitality and opportunityof a university campus. Radock, amath and science whiz during his

college years, said he was nallyable to indulge his interest in historythrough the academy.

In history courses at least, Radocksaid older students have an edge ontheir college-age fellows.

When I was taking a WorldWar II class, one guy had workedon the Manhattan Project, Radocksaid, referring to the United Statesgovernment program that developedthe atomic bomb.

Instructor Czopp said he had asimilar experience last year whenlecturing to retirees about the CivilRights movement. He said almost allof his students, most born decades

before the 1964 Civil Rights Act,would often share their experienceswith race relations.

You can see the origins oftheories and concepts in theirpersonal histories, Czopp said.Its different when you have lived60-something years. Its different from

being 18 and having lived in Seattleyour whole life.

There is one element of collegethese lifelong learners dont miss;Academy of Lifelong Learningcourses are not graded. Eyeing Czoppas he prepared his text-heavy slides,Sharon White, a retired nurse, isrelieved that, if nothing else, her ageexempts her from quizzes and tests.

Theres no pressure and youdont have to take notes, Whitesaid. Although she admitted shenever took notes, even when shewas in college.

Retirees explore new concepts, curb boredomEducation keeps pupils spry

Extended Learning instructor Stan Claussen teaches his students about old-time radio

drama Thursday in United Methodist Church. Claussen says radio drama has been hishobby for 35 years. Photo by Rachel Howland

My old age has been the best time of my life.

I [do] things I never did in my former life.

Dorothy Regal, 90,Academy for Lifelong Learning student

Features | 15wfli.|Friday, October 19, 2012


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16 | Advertisement Friday, October 19, 2012| The Western Front

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