The Vancougar: February 23, 2009

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From the President

Building

Delta Drywall’s take on the picketers from Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters

Peter Sterr goes over amendments that may be taking place on our campus

ASWSUV’s free bowling night was a fun event for those that were involved

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Page 11

Washington State University Vancouver

Vancouver AWARE Network

Bowling Night Pictures

February 23, 2009

WSU-V launches new threat assessment response plan to address concerns

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Issue 12

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Meet The Candidate Student Body candidates share some information about their campaigns

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www.vancougar.com

Mary Firstenburg leaves behind a legacy Remarkable philanthropist passes away after decades of service to her community By Greg Zschomler The VanCougar

WSU-V supporter and philanthropist Mary Firstenburg died last Tuesday, February 17, at the age of 91. She is survived by her husband and co-contributor, Ed and their three children. Ed and Mary Firstenburg donated half a million dollars to WSU-V for the construction of the Firstenburg Family Fountain in the courtyard and another one million dollars for the remodel of the student commons (formerly housing The Bookie). “This is a permanent legacy for the Firstenburg family and for WSU Vancouver,” said Chancellor Hal Dengerink back when the gift was announced. “The Firstenburg Student Commons will provide a much needed space on campus for students. We are truly grateful to the Firstenburgs and the Community Foundation for their generosity.” The Firstenburg Student Commons—often referred to as the Firstenburg, FSC or simply the Commons—plays an important part in student life on campus. Peter Sterr,

ASWSUV president represents the student body stating, “The Firstenburgs’ generous contribution to WSU Vancouver that made the Firstenburg Student Commons a reality has greatly influenced the student culture on our campus.” “The Commons,” said Sterr, “will forever stand as a memory of the care and commitment that Mary and Ed Firstenburg have shown to this community. They have truly been a shining example of compassionate philanthropy and role models to all of us that strive to give back to our communities. Mary Firstenburg will be missed.” “We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Mary Firstenburg,” said Jennifer Crooks, Director of Campus and Regional Development. “Our hearts go out to Ed and the rest of the family.” “Ed and Mary have made a huge footprint on the growth of WSU Vancouver by providing gifts to draw students and the community together,” said Crooks. “Ed and Mary’s support of education has been remarkable and their contributions have supported the campus so that Vancouver would have

a stronger educational opportunity for students. Our community is better because of all the support that the Firstenburg’s have provided—which is threaded through all facets of the

community.” Chancellor, Hal Dengerink said that they have been very generous

with their money in benefiting WSUV. “They have also demonstrated that for their bank to thrive so must the community that they live and work in,” said Dengerink adding that the same was true for WSU-V. Mary served on the board of directors of the First Independent Bank for over 40 years. Her husband Ed served as the chairman. In addition to funding the WSU-V Firstenburg Student Commons Building and the campus Firstenburg Family Fountain they have given significant gifts to other Clark County projects. According to the Columbian, Mary Firstenburg had planned to become a missionary before meeting and marrying Ed Firstenburg in 1936. They were married 72 years and lived in Ridgefield, WA. for close to 40 years. Mary Firstenburg gave considerably of her time to the community, helping found the Ridgefield Library and was active in PTA, scouting, the VA and other organizations. Her gifts and spirit have significantly touched the region. Perhaps she was a missionary after all.

College outreach program aids students for future

changed, the acronym is no less true now, than when MOSAIC wasn’t even intended for high school students. By Joe Creager The VanCougar For instance, at this session, unlike other sessions, each visiting high MOSAIC, which stands for Meet school student received a college Our Students and Investigate College, buddy. When I arrived, I found is a college outreach program currently the incoming high school students headed by Assistant Director for anxiously lined up outside of the Student Diversity Bola Majekobaje and auditorium in the Administration Admissions Counselor Mike Reyes. Building. They have partnered with Gear Up for They were nervous, timid, and College and together comprise a group clearly out of their comfort zone. of people who are very dedicated to They slowly trickled through the getting students to go on to higher door and into the auditorium. education at the University level. When a number was called, a “MOSAIC brings in a very diverse corresponding college buddy stood group of students,” said Majekobaje. up and fl agged the high schooler The participating high schools were down. selected based After each on student body “Changes are coming. Change student got demographics and a chance to can be scary, change can be the percentage meet his or WSU-V and high school students alike gained valuable information from the MOSAIC event. of students on mysterious, change can also her college free and reduced the where it was hardly frowned upon to opportunity to interview their college lunch. While be amazingly wonderful...” buddy, Keynote speaker, be a racist. buddies to get to know them better. diverse, the Lizarraga says, “Changes are By now, even the most nervous of the students selected from these schools Jorge Lizarraga came on stage. In the share some common ground. Those spirit of the current political theme, he coming, change can be scary, change newcomers had begun to loosen up, can be mysterious, change can also and by the end everyone seemed to be selected are either low income or first spoke about change. Lizarraga started by telling about his be amazingly wonderful, it can be a laughing, smiling, and generally having generation students, although most a good time. importantly, they all want to attend youth. He said, “The idea of one group fantastic opportunity.” being inferior and another superior, He ended his speech telling the After the buddy interviews had been college. The name MOSAIC was inherited was something that permeated all of students about the kind of things conducted, it was time to go face the day. by Majekobaje and Reyes when the our lives growing up in this country.” that college allows them to do. He The rest of the event was comprised of project was handed to them. Now, the He said that during his youth, bi- explained that college creates options three sessions in which students had an name has taken on a new meaning, lingual students were hit for speaking that wouldn’t otherwise be available. opportunity to choose from a variety and has come to represent small pieces Spanish at school, and placed in Lizarraga encouraged students to take of workshops that served to give them coming together to make the bigger special education programs simply advantage of change, to seek it, and to knowledge about attending college, and an opportunity to broaden their picture. That picture is access to higher because they did not know English. thrive from it. After the Keynote speech was horizons. education. Although the meaning has In general, he painted a picture of a far less accommodating America, one delivered, the visitors were given an ConTInueD on Page 8

Photo by Joe Creager

High school students tour campus at MOSAIC

The VanCougar

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EDITORIAL

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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.

START ReAdy foR chAllengeS.

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Assistant Editor Collin Rickman Copy Editor Kati Hughes Arts & Culture Editor Jake Kleinschmidt Sports & Rec Editor Erik Cummings

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Mermaid Music: a hidden treasure on Main Street A few weeks ago, my roommate Kendal Mantzke and I were walking around downtown Vancouver. We stopped in this small record shop to see what it was about it. Mermaid Music, on Main Street, is definitely eye catching. Covering every wall inside is airbrushed artwork of an underwater scene including whales, mermaids, bright shells and seaweed. This airbrushed paint job was done by the owner’s family member who happens to also work for Disney. Not only are the walls a lot to look at, but you could spend hours in Mermaid Music going through the mass amounts of used CD’s, movies, vinyls, tapes and DVD’s. Mermaid Music has been running for 16 years

with Brian Wassman and his son, Michael, operating the business. These two know a thing about keeping a small business alive and it all comes down to giving the customers what they want. Local bands are often featured in the store so that customers get a music venue type feeling from the place. Kendal and I were able to find many of our favorite old-school movies such as ‘3 Ninjas,’ ‘The Truman Show’, and ‘A League of Their Own.’ We asked Michael if he had ‘Dirty Dancing’ amongst the other hundreds of DVD’s they own. Although it wasn’t available at the time, he messaged us on myspace to let us know when it came in. With customer service like that, why would you buy movies anywhere else? Stop by the store at 2312 Main Street or visit them at myspace.com/ mermaidmusicstore.

“There ain’t no spiders in here.” “Look! There’s a giant spider web over there in the corner.” Like most commonly used words ending in –phobia, arachnophobia affects a large portion of the population, and seems ridiculous to people who don’t suffer the same ailment. Of course, a much larger portion of people who dislike spiders don’t in fact suffer from the irrational fear. A serious case of arachnophobia is much different than someone who simply doesn’t like spiders. Arachnophobia can dictate where someone chooses to live, go on vacation, work, or what sports and hobbies they enjoy. When a person who is truly afraid of spiders walks into a room that could possibly have spiders in it, they sweat, start breathing faster, or even experience nausea

and dizziness. However, an “irrational fear” such as this does not infer a cowardly or otherwise weak mind; Indiana Jones, anyone? Often, arachnophobia is caused by an incident earlier in life involving spiders. For younger people, spiders are considered to be just another interesting part of the world, with the majority of serious sufferers middle aged or older. As with any kind of fear, the most effective treatment is familiarity through education and experience. If you can read the word “spider” without getting squeamish, think about the image of one— eight legs, a bunch of eyes, crazy-fast movements, web-spinning, and—have you stopped reading yet? If not, then education is a pretty safe bet. Get on Wikipedia and learn all you can about them. Maybe the next time you run into one you’ll be less afraid.

February 23, 2009

OPINION

The Sluice Box In Defense of Dead White Men By Matt Hunter The VanCougar

Some time ago, I was listening to a lecture about the teaching of history. “Up until recently,” said the professor, “we focused on dead white men in history, but we are beginning to abandon this in favor of the study of the people of the time.” “Dead white men” is a phrase I hear fairly regularly these days. It is often used in such contexts as this: “instead of studying these dead white men, let’s study _____.” This blank is usually filled with a progressive, cool-sounding phrase such as “women during the Depression,” “family systems in 18th century Congo” and “egalitarianism among Amazonian tribes.” The implication is that there is something wrong with the way history has been taught up to this point. The basic argument is that we should know

as much about the village life of a Yanomamo warrior as we do about the work of Plato, Napoleon, George Washington, or Shakespeare. Instead of focusing on the rich and powerful, we should focus on the poor, the disenfranchised and minorities. All well and good. It’s fantastic to have an understanding of the everyday life of a 20th century Chinese farmer as well as an understanding of the key players during the Cold War. Nevertheless, an educator will always run into the problem of limitations: what should we teach our students with the limited time and energy that we have? And this is where modern educators run into a dilemma. No matter what sort of program they develop, they will always be leaving out some perspective and thus will be betraying their nonpartisan multicultural stance. Thus, by the time students reach college, the assumption is that they have been taught all of the traditional “dead white men” and can now be introduced to other traditions and

globally is very much indicative of warming.” The WMO added that 2008 is “likely to rank as the 10th warmest year on record since the beginning of the instrumental What’s your issue? climate records in 1850” (http://www. wmo.int/pages/index_en.html). By Louise Wynn EOS, an American Geophysical Union The VanCougar publication (http://www.agu.org/pubs/ I mentioned last time that there are eos), reported last month that the more some things we can do about global warm- people know about climatology, the more ing. I’d like to start with one of the most they agree that anthropogenic global obvious, and the easiest: not lying about warming is a fact. I have to believe that it. I don’t object to honest differences of people like George Will who keep denyopinion about the causes and possible so- ing the idea are motivated by something lutions to the problem, but it bothers me to other than the search for truth, especially read outright lies reported by mainstream when they resort to lies to support their asnews media. The Washington Post made sertions. If you want to know more about the mistake in its Feb. 15 issue of not the politics of denial of this issue, read Al checking an assertion made by conserva- Gore’s “The Assault on Reason,” or just tive columnist George Will, who claimed take a glance at his Web page (http://www. that the University of Illinois’ Arctic Cli- algore.com/). But, back to where we started: What mate Research Center thinks global sea can we---you and I---do about global cliice levels are the same now as they were mate change? There 30 years ago. The Center responded im“If you don’t think are a lot of things individuals mediately: you’re contributing that can do. You’ve al“We do not know that much to global ready heard some: where George Will turn down the heat, warming...try is getting his information, but our data calculating your yearly carbon don’t use the AC, replace your inshows that on Februdioxide output..” candescent light ary 15, 1979, global bulbs with compact sea ice area was 16.79 million sq. km and on February 15, 2009, fluorescent light bulbs, clean your furnace global sea ice area was 15.45 million sq. filters, take shorter showers with cooler km. Therefore, global sea ice levels are water, wash your clothes with cold water, 1.34 million sq. km less in February 2009 use energy-efficient appliances, walk or than in February 1979. This decrease in ride your bike to work/school (not possea ice area is roughly equal to the area sible for everyone in this area, I know), of Texas, California, and Oklahoma com- work from home when you can, plant bined. It is disturbing that the Washing- your own garden and fertilize it with comton Post would publish such information post from kitchen scraps, and recycle. A without first checking the facts.” The list including these, and more, is available Center’s Web site (http://arctic.atmos. at http://www.nativeenergy.com/pages/ uiuc.edu/cryosphere/) includes a fascinat- more_you_can_do/18.php. A great thing ing animation of the recent loss of multi- about these suggestions is that they also save you money, while letting you feel year sea ice. Will also misquoted a report by the virtuous about helping the planet. If you don’t think you’re contributing United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO). He claimed the that much to global warming as an indiWMO says there has been “no recorded vidual, try calculating your yearly carbon global warming for more than a decade.” dioxide output. One Web site that helps In fact, the WMO wrote in 2008, “For de- you do this is http://www.climatecrisis. tecting climate change you should not look net/takeaction/carboncalculator/. The avat any particular year, but instead examine erage for U.S. citizens is about 7.5 tons of the trends over a sufficiently long period carbon dioxide per year, and I found out of time. The current trend of temperature I’m above that. But I’m working on it.

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perspectives. This assumption is inherently flawed. As a rule, the K-12 system fails spectacularly to introduce students to the dead white men, largely because these educators are also interested in introducing students to other traditions and perspectives. Thus, high school students leave high school with a collection of facts about colonialism, American slavery and women’s suffrage but with essentially no knowledge of Shakespeare or

“No matter what sort of program [modern educators] develop, they will always be leaving out some perspective...“ Voltaire. “That’s fine,” you say. “We’ve had enough of the dead white men for a while.” Ah, but this is a naïve perspective. For example, any Englishspeaking person with no knowledge of Shakespeare is intellectually impoverished. To read Hamlet is to realize how much of our daily language and thought is indebted to Shakespeare. To not know Shakespeare is to separate

oneself from 400 years of English thought. In the same way, Voltaire’s sneers are essential to understanding the French Revolution: an event that has influenced every revolution in Latin America and Europe since. It is an understatement to say ideas matter. They have the power to kill hundreds of millions of people and the power to raise the standard of living for the same number. They have the power to tear down rainforests and the power to preserve the environment. In the words of Russell Kirk, “modern people are dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, able to see further than their ancestors only because of the great stature of those who have preceded us in time.” While it is all very well to study the poor and disenfranchised, we neglect the dead white men at our peril. For their ideas made history and the line that separates history from modern dilemmas is insignificant. To not know the movers and shakers of history is to jump from the shoulders of the giant and make our way blindly in a dangerous world.

Man on the Street

What are you looking for in a candidate for the campus elections? By Jake Kleinschmidt The VanCougar

Davin Crow Public Administration

“More responsibility of the spending of the student funds, I want the first two days of the semester to be free parking.”

Marianne Bash Library

“I look for someone who is willing to work on behalf the student body, while taking into consideration the needs and limits of a college campus.”

Michael Bradley MIS/Marketing

“Concentrate more on what’s going on within the school. More activates whether it’s concerts or stuff that’s local. So stuff that we don’t have to go to Pullman for.”

Cara Cottingham DTC

“I want them to think about all students, including smokers. And think about diversity overall, and get out into the community and associate all. Basically be down to earth good listeners.”

Roxanne Doenecke Education

“I would like to see someone with strong leadership qualities, who’s communication skills are excellent who has the interest of the student body especially out in front as a goal, who’s listens to the students to what their desires are on campus, and he or she needs to encourage students to be honest to insure the quality of learning they are receiving on campus.”

Kathleen Delinger Biology

“Practicality, I want them to allocate budget items to what we actually need at WSU-V. I don’t have that much time for frivolous activities. Some of the things they have done in the past though have been interesting.”

The VanCougar

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STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

ASWSUV general elections, constitution Hello Students,

I would like to take this time to call your attention to three very important issues that you will be facing in the next several weeks. The ASWSUV Senate has recently proposed and passed, with a unanimous vote, three constitutional amendments that will be put forward to you for approval. You will be able to vote on these amendments during the ASWSUV general election on March 10th, 11th, and 12th. Amendment 18.001 concerns changing the name of ASWSUV in the Constitution from the “Associated Students of Washington State University At Vancouver” to the “Associated Students of Washington State University Vancouver.” This change will reflect the terminology used in all student government and university documentation. The “at” is simply no longer part of our name.

Amendment 18.002 concerns changing the requirements to approve constitutional amendments. Approval of an amendment currently requires a vote of 20% of the student body. ASWSUV elections have not exceeded a 14% turnout in recent years, even with intensive advertising and promotion. This amendment will lower the required turnout to 15%-remaining above the typical in order to maintain difficulty, while also making it realistically possible to change the constitution. Amendment 18.003 concerns increasing ASWSUV Senate compensation from 5% of tuition to 10% of tuition. It also adjusts the compensation cap from $200 to $400. This change reflects the added requirements and expectations imposed on the Senate due to the increase in students and activities. To our knowledge, this compensation has not

been increased since the conception of ASWSUV. Please turn out to vote for these amendments, in addition to voting for your next ASWSUV President, Vice President, and Senators. These changes do affect you, and your participation in this process is critical to the success and legitimacy of your student government. As an added incentive, anyone who votes in the general election will be entered into a raffle, in which we will be giving away prizes ranging in value from $25 to $500. The actual prizes have not yet been chosen, but will be advertised in the coming weeks. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions at [email protected]. Go COUGS! Peter Sterr ASWSUV President

Bowling excitement seen all around

Upcoming Events Feb. 23: PAW Club Meeting 9:30 a.m. in the VADM 130 For more details visit myspace.com/wsu_paw

Feb. 24: 2009 Career Fair

3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. in FSC and ELS. Register online through the WSU Vancouver website.

March 5: Graduate School Information Luncheon 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in VMMC 217. Bring your own lunch and learn about Graduate School from Dr. Marcelo Diversi.

Ticket Sales March 2: Blazers vs Suns

Game: March 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets on sale in Cashier’s Office at 10:00 a.m.

Photos by Katie Wells Editor in Chief

ASWSUV sponsored another free bowling night at Allen’s Crosley Lanes Thursday, Feb. 19 at 9:30 p.m. Crowds of students filled the bowling alley for free pizza, pop, bowling and prizes.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

February 23, 2009

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Newly passed Senate bills New AWARE network launched By Michael Hatch

BILL 18.022 ASWSUV

Eighteenth Senate

Managing Editor

2008-09 Session

By Senators Myers and Kleinschmidt 09 February 2009 AN ACT Relating to: The allocation of $25.00 (twenty-five dollars) from the Student Events Pool (6272-0200-03) for A new Roberts Rules of Order for the senate. BE IT ENACTED BY THE ASWSUV SENATE:

Section 1: Roberts Rule’s of Order $25.00

STATEMENT OF FACT: Advertisements will read “Co-sponsored by ASWSUV” in 14-point font or font equal to the average size lettering on the advertisement, for all advertising for the event(s) as required by ASWSUV By-Laws (260.12). Advertisements will be cleared with the Public Relations Director prior to disbursement. The current Robert’s Rules of Order has missing pages and pages not in sequential order. The new Roberts Rule of Order will not have these defects and allow the senate to conduct business in an orderly fashion.

BILL 18.023 ASWSUV

Eighteenth Senate

2008-09 Session

By Senators Bowyer and Chu 10 February 2009 AN ACT Relating to: The allocation of $130.40 (one hundred thirty dollars and 40 cents) from the Student Events Pool (6272-0200-03) for the Anthropology Club AAA Conference Trip Presentation to be held on 19 February 2009. BE IT ENACTED BY THE ASWSUV SENATE: Section 1: 10 pizzas $105.40 Section 2: Soda cups and plates $25.00 STATEMENT OF FACT: Advertisements will read “Co-sponsored by ASWSUV” in 14-point font or font equal to the average size lettering on the advertisement, for all advertising for the event(s) as required by ASWSUV By-Laws (260.12). All advertisements shall be approved prior to distribution by the ASWSUV Public Relations Director. The AAA conference trip was funded through the ASWSUV Senate. This event will impart the information and ideas of the trip to the student body and those who could not attend as required by ASWSUV Senate Bill 18.011

WSU-V Distinguished Woman The 2009 Distinguished Woman of the Year VANCOUVER, Wash. Washington State University Vancouver’s Office of Student Involvement will recognize the 2009 Distinguished Woman of the Year. WSU Vancouver invites the community to nominate women who have made a difference in their lives. The Women of Distinction program is designed to celebrate Women’s History Month and will honor women who inspire, mentor and empower others. Festivities include a keynote by Patricia E. Smith, President and CEO of Unitus Community Credit Union, hors d’oeuvres and music. WSU Vancouver will announce the recipient at the Woman of Distinction

2009 event, from 6 - 8 p.m. March 4, in the Firstenburg Student Commons. To show support guests can bring a donation of new or unused personal care and toiletry items for the Associated Students of WSU Vancouver drive benefitting the Clark County YWCA. This event is free and open to the public. This event is sponsored by the Office of Student Involvement and Unitus Community Credit Union and the ASWSUV. WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. We offer 16 bachelor’s degrees, nine master’s degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. Visit us on the Web at http://www.vancouver. wsu.edu.

For more information or to make a nomination go to:

http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/distinction Nominations are due by February 23

Catalyzed by unfortunate shootings in past years at other colleges, WSU-V has recently developed a threat assessment response plan to address concerns students may have about classmates. The central idea of the plan, called the Vancouver AWARE Network, is to “promote and maintain an environment where students, staff and faculty participate in the educational process without compromising the health, safety or welfare of themselves, others or the campus community,” according to materials presented by Nancy Youlden, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. The AWARE Network is an online resource for students and provides a list of helpful links along with an Assistance and Referral form that can be completed by anyone on campus with concerns about a student.

The plan was modeled after WSU Pullman’s Aware network, developed last year, and “is not meant to target students unfairly,” says Youlden, who assures that an assessment team will review reports before a response is made. Along with the response plan, an assessment team has been formed which includes Youlden, Lt. Dave Stephenson, Dr. Will Meek, Sally Dost, Helen Stewart, Lynn Valenter, Bruce Romanish, and Randy Boose. The Behavior Assessment Team reviews concerns submitted through the online portal and investigates as appropriate, then develops protocol for reporting, screening and assessment of students. Youlden says that the AWARE network is meant only for dealing with and responding to student concerns and that anything more immediate or dangerous should be reported to local authorities by calling 911.

The VanCougar

Continued from last issue, a detailed trip through Irael for one WSU-V student

UPCOMING EVENTS The Arts @ WSU Vancouver Who: All WSU Vancouver students who would like to showcase their art or craft When: Event held April 10, 2009 3:30 p.m. What: Local arts and crafts vendors, including community, students, staff and faculty. This event hopes to bring awareness to the community of the campus’ rotating galleries and permanent art pieces. We plan to use this event to raise funds to support the WSU Vancouver Art galleries, DTC Program and Fine Arts department. Contact: Lea Pfau in the office of Development and Alumni relations 360-546-9600 or e-mail [email protected]

CAMPUS NEWS

Israel: moving toward autonomy, pt. two

CAMPUS NEWS

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Photo and Story by Byron Nalos CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There are no words for Jerusalem. She will not allow them, just as she will not allow cars within the city walls. One must walk the narrow streets humbly, on foot, as the camel passing through the eye of a needle. We spent a week there. We talked with Jewish shop owners. They were eager for discussion and they spoke calmly. Even on the street corners, many gave eloquent verbal tours of the city, waving their arms around them. Israelis still carry an air of European refinery- one that borders on arrogance. Sometimes, when the spiritual aura was too strong, Ryan and I would go outside the city wall and spread a game of chess on the hot Jerusalem stone. Our favorite place was the busy Damascus Gate. The great thing about chess is that it crosses every language barrier. There are no modern cultures without it. It is the ultimate game of conquest and power. But for us, it was just a relaxing way to meet people. Young children and foreign tourists alike paused to watch, sometimes for the whole game, while Ryan and I battled out Armageddon in the Jerusalem heat. I especially enjoyed the Israelis that watched our chess games. Their faces were full of concentration. They watched intently, as one who knows what it’s like to play in the game with an audience- that when it’s your turn, you do whatever it takes to keep your dignity. The following days, I spent my mornings watching Hebrew men lean their arms against the old Temple Wall, praying that God might heal the nation and restore their pride. It was a powerful image of devotion to see them slide prayers into notches where the ancient wall has cracked. The papers, it seemed, sprout roots. Green vines sprawled along the top of the wall, clinging for life. Beneath, Israeli men clung to the dusty, material wall. I thought how being American has taught me the power, or even the religion, of material things. I also remembered how messiahs have been sent to topple our markets, profane our courthouses, and move us to a Pond in Massachusetts. I imagined myself a tourist in Washington DC. I wouldn’t want someone to judge me by the history of my country, or her cathedrals, or her plantations. How could some external place portray me, or my faith? This Wailing Wall was less than glamorousa dead end on the trail to connect with my Jewish roots. Or perhaps not dead; only sleeping. It’s difficult for a citizen of Israel to travel daily in and out of the West Bank. For a tourist it’s easy. When the guards saw the color of our passports, and our skin, they waived us in. The pathway was a chain link tube, passing through a concrete atrium. From inside the West Bank we walked parallel to the towering cement barrier in awe. It was covered with graffiti as high as the hand could reach, or in some cases, the ladder. Brilliant colors burst out, and all of it was in English. A white woman asked if I was lost, and I closed my jaw. “Bethlehem is the second left,” she said in a thick French accent. She had a glossy black camera bouncing on her neck while she walked away.

The Palestinians were warm to us. Teenagers wore flashy clothes and drove nice cars. Children in the streets demanded coins from us. One man had us into his shop for tea and hookah and we watched him talk for forty minutes. I exchanged gifts with him. They are an eager people- eager for conversation, laughter, and chaos. But they are not so downtrodden and weak as the world would make them seem. Sooner or later there will be hell to pay for underestimating this electric charge. That same evening, two Israeli soldiers were murdered a few miles outside of Bethlehem. In Israel, you don’t have to look far to find injustice. It’s just like looking into America’s own history. Even before the First World War, England had planned to colonize the land of Palestine, just like she did America; this time under a façade of Jewish sympathy. But Churchill wasn’t able to resurrect the new ghetto until Hitler’s were destroyed. When it finally happened in 1948, the Palestinians- last in the food chain- were quarantined into little reservations as silly, and as disastrous, as the ones built for the American Indian. Unfortunately, it’s being colonized again. In the past, the US has given Israel a blank check for war. Half the globe knows it; they’re not blind. Every ten feet, along the base of the cement wall dividing Israel and the West Bank, a little inscription is stenciled in small block print, “Made in USA.” By the time we reached Hiafa, two hours north of Tel Aviv, we had almost

establishing their own morals, values, and identity without our help. The West’s grip on the Middle East is so strong no one can move. And this is all done under a religious pretension of “praying for the peace of Jerusalem,” or simply honoring God’s chosen people. But the vice grip has frozen the rest of the Mideast in time. Our altruism for peace now is at the expense of disaster later. Can this Christian nation, (we if are that anymore), afford to break our morals to get our ideals? The unspoken message sent is that the hands of God are not strong enough to accomplish His ancient prophecies. If they are God’s chosen people, let God choose them. There is an old saying; too many chiefs ruin the stew. Many Americans will disagree with me. Usually, they do so under the bias that Christians must honor Israel, if anything, for the Bible. This logic is not only ironic, but wrong, when held to the teachings of Christ himself. The Christian life should never bow to names, place, or things- except One. Anything else is favoritism, or worse: worship. The heritage or culture of our finest religions can never take the place of that religion. They are secondary to it, like wine is to dinner. In this intensely shallow world, one must stay sober enough to remember the words ‘call no man Father,’ and no country Rabbi. My last three days in Israel were spent hibernating back in Tel Aviv. A massive rainstorm swept in from the ocean, just like they do in Portland, Oregon, and soaked every last bastard. The cold sea

completed the month long circle. I felt myself growing reflective. On top of Mt. Carmel, we watched the Israeli military come to port just a few miles south of the Lebanese border. Beneath us were the rich colors of the Baha’i Gardens. From the street, we caught fresh oranges from the bowing garden limbs that hung over a steel fence. A few Germans let us crash in their apartment, so we took the crowded 32 bus along the ridge toward Israel’s biggest, western style university. Last year this 32 bus blew to shrapnel when a Hamas enthusiast climbed on board. It was during morning rush hour. That evening I got peanut butter gelato on the street. The man served me larger scoops when I told him I was from America. With the full lust of youth in his eyes, he asked me to tell him what Las Vegas was like. “I can’t,” I said. “I’ve never been there.” This American influence in Israel is everywhere. The people wear our mask- a false one at that- instead of

was medicine on my sunburned skin, and sand in my crotch. We washed our clothes one last time. I’m glad we came back to Tel Aviv before flying home. I wouldn’t have been able to see Joppa otherwise. It was a beautiful fishing town. We watched a man fishing all afternoon. He was surrounded by cats, and every time he unhooked a fish from the line, it dropped with a slap on the dock and the cats fought it out. He enjoyed the game, I suspect. But as far as I’m concerned, the last thing the Mideast needs is more cats. Downtown, there was a great bookstore where I bought a couple paperbacks in English. They were American authors. I was excited to get home. Ryan and I didn’t know what to do with ourselves the last night in Israel. We felt like doing something that captured the spirit of the place. We were absolutely restless. That is, of course, until I pulled out the wooden chessboard from my duffel bag.

CAMPUS NEWS

February 23, 2009

7

Meet your student body presidential candidates

Nick Ferderer Nicole Mousleh

Emily Shaw Rob Hildebrant

Ryan Davis Candace McCammon

Kevin Cervantes Abe Robles

Nick Ferderer is a triple major in English, Human Development, and Public Affairs with a 3.88 cumulative GPA at Washington State University Vancouver. Currently, he is a Student Ambassador and previously served as an ASWSUV Senator. He sits as an appointed member of the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board. He also sits as a student representative on the Student Alumni Group and the Alumni Advisory Group. Nicole Mousleh is a current WSU Vancouver Junior majoring in Finance and Management Information Systems. In the past Nicole served as a Student Ambassador where she helped new students adjust to our unique campus lifestyle and represented the campus to the local community. Nick and Nicole believe in three interrelated ideas: leadership growth, enhanced communication, and sustainable action. They believe every student has the capacity to be a leader given the right opportunities, and WSUV needs more. The opportunities available now need to be advertised more and new positions need to be created. Successful leadership is relational and therefore requires effective communication at many levels, beginning and ending with students. Communication already exists between multiple entities, but can be improved and expanded upon. This involves dialogue and action between ASWSUV and faculty, administration, the community, state, and most importantly on the student level. A strong commitment to communication builds a strong foundation for the future. In the future, and now, sustainable measures need to be taken to ensure WSU-V remains at the forefront of new technology and opportunity. The possibilities for sustainable action are endless, both on a small and large scale, but all endeavors must be based on leadership and communication. Nick and Nicole are running for ASWSUV President and VicePresident for these reasons. They ask for your help and support in order to make lasting positive change at WSU-V. For more information please visit NickandNicole2009. com or contact them via e-mail at [email protected].

ASWSUV has the great responsibility of serving student interests and effectively allocating student funds. That is why I am running for student body president. I am dedicated and passionate about better representing student welfare and needs. My running mate, Rob Hildebrant, and I have served a combined four years in ASWSUV, having committing ourselves to helping students. As a current ASWSUV Senator and ViceChair of the External Affairs Committee, I advocate for student concerns with the administration, community, and legislature. I have worked on such diverse projects as representing the needs of WSU Vancouver students to the Washington Student Lobby and the Higher Education Coordinating Board, working with administration to bring more visible signs of Cougar Pride onto campus, and providing students with community service opportunities. Last year, as the Public Relations Director of ASWSUV, I worked towards increasing student involvement and furthering the accessibility of student government. Rob Hildebrant has served both as an ASWSUV Senator and as a member of the Judicial Board. He has a thorough understanding of both the budgetary and regulatory aspects of ASWSUV, having served on the Budget, External Affairs, and Rules and Regulations Committees. Rob is also passionate about community service, having assisted over 15 charities during his time as an ASWSUV Senator. Our platform specifically addresses major student concerns and campus issues by offering detailed solutions and plans. We structured our platform around four over arching goals: academic affordability, representing all students, promoting student life, and ASWSUV accountability. Given the current state of the economy, it is imperative that ASWSUV stand up for students’ right to an affordable college experience. We address this issue in several ways including strengthening ASWSUV lobbying efforts. Our student population is wonderfully and uniquely diverse and we will support this diversity by addressing a wide range of issues from affordable childcare to green practices on campus. Students deserve access to a thriving campus community. Our platform supports student life by promoting new events, involving the community, and providing clubs with more resources. Rob and I have worked hard not only to advocate for students but also to improve ASWSUV’s ability to do so. Now we ask for your support to allow us to continue to advocate for your needs. For more information and to let us know what issues are important to you, visit our web site at VoteShaw.com.

I am excited to officially announce my candidacy for student body President in the spring of 2009. The thought of running for student body President came clear after numerous students, friends, and faculty members encouraged me to run for the position. I am honored these individuals believe in my years of relevant experience to handle WSU-V student government and trust my administration will work diligently to build upon and create new programs for students. My wife, Abby Davis (A local 2nd grade teacher), and son, Brady Davis (3), have been extremely supportive in my pursuit to finish my BA in public affairs and also an MBA @ WSU-V. I graduated High School in 1997 from Olympus high school in Salt Lake City, Utah. Directly out of high school I joined the Marine Corps Reserve, where I served for eight honorable years. During my career in the Marines, I saw a few beautiful countries and had the opportunity to participate in operation Iraqi Freedom. I obtained the rank of Sergeant (E-5) and was in charge of 60 Combat Engineer Marines in the 6th Engineer Support Battalion, located on Swan Island, Oregon. I was chosen as Marine of the year in 2000 throughout a battalion of over 1000 Marines. While still serving in the Marines, I was able to finish my AA degree @ Clark College. In July of 2001, I was offered a position with Camas Police Department as a patrol officer. I accepted the job and placed education on the back burner, while pursuing a dream of becoming a public servant. While with Camas Police Department, I worked with many professionals in very stressful situations. I participated in thousands of hours of training dealing with citizens. This training included and required officers to be involved in the community, working with them to find solutions to problems in local neighborhoods and jurisdictions. This type of profession also demanded a strong sense of leadership and critical thinking skills. Throughout my career as a law enforcement officer I was able to create many networks of individuals in the community. Still today I have managed to keep friends/contacts with many city and county organizations that support my endeavors. The mission of my executive staff, if elected, will be to represent the students of WSU-V in all aspects of student government and involvement. I will work diligently, as well as my staff, to make decisions in the best interests of students while maintaining a professional and fluent relationship with faculty and administrative personnel within the University. Furthermore, I intended to build a solid relationship in the surrounding community and promote our ASWSUV organization with local businesses and citizens.

Our goal is to empower students with all the resources they need to reach a successful graduation at Washington State University Vancouver and have them smoothly transition to the workforce or graduate school. I think making ASWSUV a welcoming organization is very important. My running mate and I want to be more than just approachable but easy to contact and communicate with. I want students to know we are here for them and that they can talk about their concerns and have them no longer be ignored. My running mate and I grew up together and have worked in various leadership organizations in the past. We always think that there is more that a president and vice president of a student body can do rather than just to collect his biweekly allowance. At the end of the day, it is not about Kevin and I, it is about the positive imprint we leave on this institution with constructive outcomes for the current and prospective students to come. Respectfully, Kevin Cervantes and Abe Robles

Election Information When to vote: March 10, 11 and 12 from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. How to vote: Log into your ‘myWSU’ account. There you will find the instructions for voting online. or Walk up to a polling site in the VADM Building on campus to cast your vote.

Apply for other positions: Student Ambassador applications are due February 27. Senate positions available. Applications no longer accepted. Write in candidates on the ballot on March 10, 11 and 12 to nominate yourself or someone else. Student Regent applications are due March 27.

The VanCougar

ARTS & CULTURE

Professor finishes book about ‘ballers’

ARTS & CULTURE

8

WSU-V’s very own Dr. Lewis expresses his views on racism and sports By Gregory E. Zschomler The VanCougar

WSU-V’s Dr. Thabiti Lewis has written a new book titled “Ballers of the New School: Race and Sports in America.” The forthcoming book is slated for a spring 2009 release. Lewis said the book has been in the back of his mind for years. “Writing is a funny thing,” said Lewis. “You never know when you really begin a project.” The inklings of the book came to him before he received his doctorate from St. Louis University.

Two friends encouraged him to write a book addressing sports—a passion of Lewis’ since childhood. Lewis grew up playing sports in St. Louis, Mo. and has been writing since grade school. “I remember as a sixthgrader I [discovered] I could write my ticket out of my community,” he said. One of his pieces earned him free admission to a basketball game. His paper came to the attention of the school’s vice principal and he was called into the office and offered the job of team reporter. As an African-American who grew up in St. Louis, he notes that racism and segregation have not gone away. “Schools, in many ways, are nearly as segregated as they were in the ‘60s,” he said.

His new book addresses the topics of sports, race and pop culture. Lewis says that we live in a society that is shy about talking about race. He contends that sports culture is not the pioneer for racial progress many imagine it to be. The book supports this idea and looks at sports figures, masculinity, economics, social constructs such as integration, heroism, and politics through critical race theory. His desire is that readers approach these subjects honestly. “I believe the time has come for an honest discussion about racism and sports that holds the exploited and exploitees accountable,” said Lewis, The book will be sold in The Bookie. For more information, contact Dr. Lewis at [email protected].

Besides “College 101,” Dr. Hamid Rad hosted a “Mechanical Engineering” workshop, Dr. John Barber hosted a session titled “Robots in Society,” and Dr. Marcelo Diversi hosted a “Human Development” workshop. Furthermore Jorge Lizarraga made a second appearance, hosting an “Environment and Society” workshop where he covered the United States-Mexico boarder, and how he has researched it in the context of his field of study. Also, Dr. Dene Grigar hosted an intriguing workshop in the DTC MOVE Lab, where she showcased her research in movement tracking technology. This won’t be the only MOSAIC this year, though. In May, an all city

MOSAIC will be held, which will include three additional local high schools; Evergreen, Heritage, and Mountain View. After lunch, an iPod raffle stirred a bit of excitement among the guest students. A 30GB iPod Video was up for grabs. The winner was sophomore Sky McClellan. It’s probably safe to assume that Friday the 13th didn’t get the best of her. After the giveaway Majekobaje and Reyes gave some closing remarks, and after that, everyone was sent their own way, hopefully with a head-full of knowledge that will help them advance to the next level of education beyond high school.

High school students tour campus at MOSAIC ...continued from Page 1 Photo and Story by Joe Creager The VanCougar

There were six workshops to choose from in all. First, “College 101” with Wendé Fisher and Nelson Sigrah was well attended. Of course, it makes sense that everyone went to College 101 as Fisher and Sigrah shared some valuable knowledge, such as the fact that perfect grades are not the be all, end all of college admissions. They also stressed that even if the students had a rough freshman year grade-wise, that it wasn’t too late to point them in the right direction.

UPCOMING EVENTS Who: All WSU Vancouver students who would like to showcase their art or craft When: Event held April 10, 2009 3:30 p.m. What: Local arts and crafts vendors, including community, students, staff and faculty. This event hopes to bring awareness to the community of the campus’ rotating galleries and permanent art pieces. We plan to use this event to raise funds to support the WSU Vancouver Art galleries, DTC Program and Fine Arts department. Contact: Lea Pfau in the office of Development and Alumni relations 360-546-9600 or e-mail lea_pfau@ vancouver.wsu.edu

February 23, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE

Proof that Butch beats bark By Mark Medina The VanCougar

The cougar is a ferocious and adaptable feline found in most any type of habitat in the Americas. Cougars roam freely through the frigid Canadian mountains and the farms and fields of Southwest Washington clear to the Andes of South America. The cougar, also called a puma, is a masterful stalk and ambush predator that eats anything it can catch (with bursts of speed up to 45 mph it can catch almost anything). Cougars are a protected species in many countries; however, because of livestock predation (they eat farm animals) cougars are sometimes regarded as a nuisance and killed by area ranchers. Cougars have also been known to attack people. Lucia Avila, a WSU-V senior, says that cougar attacks worry her sister who lives in Yakima, “it’s something you hear about now and then.” Matthew Trenda says that he was out walking with his dog when a cougar attacked. “It went after my dog, so I chased it off. It was scary.” The one thing about the cougar that we know for sure is that it is a much better mascot than the Husky.

After all, the husky is a mere sled dog, used as tool by the man to pull a sleigh. WSU-V Senior David Goforth says he respects the intelligence of the mighty cougar and adds that the Cougar is “a much better mascot than the Husky,” a simple dog. Katrina Burch agrees that the ferocious cougar is much better than the Husky and like David she admires the cougar’s strength and intelligence. Several WSU-V students identified the elusive cougar as “an older woman that preys upon younger men.” This non-traditional interpretation of our beloved mascot seems familiar among our WSU-V classmates. WSUV senior Brittania Anoai-Gonzalez says she finds this version of the cougar to be funny, yet not as amusing as the scene from Talladega Nights when Ricky Bobby (Will Farrell) trains to drive with a cougar in the car and gets attacked, “now that’s funny.” The best evidence to support the notion that the cougar is an apt mascot would have to come from the Wazzu Men’s basketball team who has soundly defeated the Huskies, and the Wazzu Football team who dominated the Huskies at the Apple Cup in 2007 and 2008 (although in 2008 the Cougars waited until double overtime before clinching victory).

CougAr t

Photo by Katie Wells

Evidence that cougars are superior to others

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Jodi Tripp: “Orton Morning” Former staff member at WSU-V Loves taking photographs of the Northwest.

KOUG Radio still on the go

One of the largest student organizations on campus is constantly growing By Kayla Page The VanCougar

KOUG radio launched their official broadcast Feb. 17 online at www. vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/kougradio. In order to access the stream, students must have Windows Media Player, Quicktime or Real Player. The purpose of the site is to stream live broadcast to students and community members. The web site features DJ biographies and blogs as well as featuring a calendar of events, including show times and content. Station Manager Zane Wagner said, “We want to be able to interact with listeners and our web site will invite comments on shows and music.” The 30 student staff, which is now one of the largest organizations on campus, also hopes to have the chance to broadcast throughout the student commons. With a staff of so many, KOUG radio is not lacking talent. Many of the staff have previous DJ experience, which allows for greater opportunities to create a dynamic station. Wagner said that the content of the station is promising. “Some [DJs] want to create weekly talk shows, many want to host a DJ show, some are interested in helping us advertise, and some want to make commercials and [Public Service Announcements],” said Wagner. Plans to bring these types of shows are underway and Wagner hopes to also add shows concerned with current events and political opinions. KOUG radio is broadcasting 14 hours of live DJ content per week and the high-tech automation software is set up to play songs the remainder of the time. This software is programmed to play songs that compliment each other, but Andrea Lang, Music Director, is one person in charge of deciding what music is in that database. The station will not focus on any particular genre of music, and as of now DJs are playing anything from 70s and 80s hits, Top 40, Indie Rock, Latin Jazz and everything in between.

Lang said, “We don’t decide directly the music that gets played, the students that sign on as DJ’s really do. I think that kind of reflects the spirit of a great college radio station.” It is possible for listeners to request songs to be played on KOUG radio, as a few DJs are offering e-mail addresses to which requests can be sent, however Lang suggests another way. “The best way for students to hear what they want more specifically is to get involved either as a DJ or with the music department. Our music library is only as big as students help to build it, provided the material is appropriate, students can import whatever they’d like.” KOUG radio is much more than music, as Public Relations Director Cara Cottingham points out. “The focus of the radio station is to give students a voice,” said Cottingham, “and the ability to give voices to other members of our community.” Cottingham’s show ‘Local Expressions: The Voice of Vancouver’ is just one aspect of this focus. Her last show, on Tuesday evening from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., highlighted artists and visitors at Vancouver’s First Friday Art Walk. She has also interviewed Michaelo Ross who is the creator of the 98666 local band movement. As for the future of KOUG radio, Wagner hopes to be able to broadcast over the airwaves, rather than just online. “There is a lot of red tape and licensing involved in this endeavor and to a great extent. I am thankful that our advisor, Brian Blair, is committed to helping us with this endeavor. Brian Blair brings years of radio experience to the table, and he is absolutely invaluable to KOUG.” Cottingham also shares this vision toward airwave broadcasting. “I personally hope that eventually KOUG radio reaches enough people that it can be considered not only the university radio, but Vancouver, Washington’s radio source. We can only reach that point if students actively take a roll in the community,” said Cottingham. According to Wagner, “We all love music and we all want to have a great time as the station grows and we continue to broadcast.”

Joe Creager:“Students eat lunch” Student: History Major Loves to take candid photographs of human behavior.

Tim Batchelor Student: Biology Major Held a photography business for 2 years, been shooting since age 11.

Want your art here? Tell us! Email the ACE Editor at [email protected]

WSU-V Basketball team halts Ryonet charge with score of 63-57 By Adam Fox The VanCougar

The Ryonet Rhinos started strong and played solidly, but their efforts could not best the Cougars. The Cougars’ stellar outside shooting consistently kept the visiting Rhinos pushing themselves. In the second quarter, the Cougars gained a healthy lead over the Rhinos but determined efforts by the visiting team closed the gap. Beyond the first half, the contest remained rich and compelling.

Just as the Rhinos were about to break the tie in the third quarter, something unexpected happened. “I would have had him, but right then his elbow came down on my forehead,” said guard SueAnn McWatters, the only female player on WSU-V’s city league basketball team. Though she came out of the game with a painful lump on the head, her enthusiastic leadership and ferocious playing style ensured that the Cougars maintained a lead over the competition. With a final score of 6357, the Cougars improved to a record of 2-1. Photos by Erik Beaulieu

SPORTS & RECREATION

Cougars bowl over Rhinos

UPCOMING EVENTS Snowboard/Ski

Rent equipment from the OSI Recreation Office for your personal trip

Ping Pong Tournament

Feb. 26: Visit the OSI for more information

Hold-Em Tournament

March 6: Held in Firstenburg Student Center from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Blazers vs Knicks

March 8: Tickets available in the OSI

Winterhawks vs. Everett March 8: Tickets available from Student Affairs Cashier February 23 starting 9 a.m.

Visit www.vancouver. wsu.edu for further listings of events to come

Come-back after forfeit

WSU-V volleyball wins match after forfeiting first game By Katie Wells eDITor In ChIeF

Winning the match two games to one on Wednesday, Feb. 18, the WSU-V City League volleyball team inches toward post-season play. When the game began at 6:15 p.m., unfortunately only four players were on the court for the Cougars. By 6:17 p.m. they had forfeited their first game. Running from the bathroom after changing into their uniforms, two players raced onto the court. Surprised to find out that they had just lost the first game within two minutes, the girls were ready to play. There were no substitutes at the match so every member of the team played

all the way around. The second game of the match went by easily for the Cougars with the opponent rarely returning the ball to their side of the net. Hard serves and strong hits were a key component to WSU-V’s success that match as well. Erica Stauffer, one of the team’s middle blockers, was a wall at the net.

SPORTS & RECREATION

Relay for Life Cascade Middle School to host the day-long event By Dillon Stiffler The VanCougar

It is unlikely that you do not know someone who has been affected by cancer. The battle against cancer is one hard fought, and organizations like American Cancer Society are doing all they can to make headway, but they can not accomplish anything without the support of the community. Relay for Life, one of their biggest fund raisers, gives everyone a chance to contribute to this cause. During a Relay event, participants come together to remember loved ones lost to cancer, to celebrate progress made and to continue their fight by raising more money to win the ongoing fight against cancer. The next big event is the Relay for Life of Evergreen. It will begin June 27 at noon and end 24 hours later. The event will be held at Cascade Middle School. For more information or to sign up go to relayforlife.org/relay/findevent. Then put Vancouver, Washington into the search engine and you should get a list of local events for the next few months. The American Cancer Society needs your support to win this fight. They cannot do it alone and this is your chance to get involved. She had multiple blocks as well as a few great hits. Kendal Mantzke was an all around great player, fighting through her overwhelming sickness while serving aces and crushing the ball in the front row. The final game was even easier than the second for the Cougs. Setter SueAnn McWatters really hustled and moved the ball well along the net. The sets were made possible by great passes from Michelle McIlvoy and exceptional defense by Kayla McKee. McKee covered her area well and anticipated each hit from the opponent. After winning the third game and the match, both teams decided to replay the first game that had been forfeited. Not surprisingly, the Cougars won that game too.

Photo by Erik Beaulieu

The VanCougar

10

FEATURES

February 23, 2009

11

Protestors man the entrance for the second year running. By Sheryl Kennon The VanCougar

been no problems or delays with construction. “WSU is happy with the way things are going and so are we, so that pretty much says it all,” said Duch. “Delta Drywall will be finished in a couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see if [the carpenter’s union] continue to protest.” The new building is scheduled to be complete by August of this year. In August 2008, Willamette University faced a similar situation with the carpenter’s union protesting against Delta Drywall being subcontracted on a building project. Willamette r e s p o n d e d by forming a working group that reviewed the evidence, met with all the parties, and suggested solutions. One suggestion was having a transparent monitoring system established to ensure Delta Drywall employees received their entitled compensation. “Our opinion is that the Willamette working group was nothing more than a dog and pony show. It was an attempt to appear concerned. I’m not aware if anything was enacted regarding transparency,” Photo by Erik Beaulieu

Delta Drywall, a subcontractor for WSU-V new undergraduate classroom building, is almost finished with their work, yet still under fire by the protestors from the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters (PNRCC). Nearly every day members from the carpenter’s union stand outside of WSU-V’s entrance a banner reading, “Does WSU support a tax cheat?” They’ve handed out flyers that make allegations against Chris Troxel, the owner of Delta Drywall. During fall semester, three protestors were arrested for

trespassing. Ben Bansom, one of the union’s organizers, said he could not comment on the arrests as they have not gone to trial yet. “The biggest issue [PNRCC] is the fact that [Delta Drywall] is not meeting area labor standards on all projects,” says Bansom. Accusations made against Delta Drywall include Troxel paying employees under the table and under reporting hours worked in order to avoid paying taxes. “Delta Drywall was recently audited for 2006, 2007, and the first quarter of 2008….. Delta Drywall is not a tax cheater,” said Troxel. Triplet Wellman’s Steve Duch, the main contractor and project manager hired by WSU-V, says there have

Photo by Michael Hatch

Carpenter’s union dispute over Delta Drywall persists

said Bansom. “I guess [WSU has] been responsive to hear the concerns,” says Bansom. “However, they haven’t done a whole lot about it. They’re pretty much stuck with the fact that they are bound with the prevailing wage law.” Troxel believes that he is being targeted because his business is nonunion. “I am paying a fair amount and never had anyone quit [from Delta Drywall].” Troxel says that he could legally pay his employees minimum wage on the project, but that he chooses to pay prevailing wage because “that’s what they’re

How the gut tells the brain ‘Yes, we have enough.’ Dr. Ritter illustrates bodily appetite satiation signals during luncheon seminar By Kayla Page The VanCougar

As a part of the Chancellor’s Seminar Series, Dr. Robert Ritter from WSU Pullman’s Department of Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology, spoke about his recent research concerning the physiology of obesity. Ritter’s interest was sparked by work he did as a veterinary student, and he continues to investigate answers to the question “how does our brain get signals from our body that we are full?” This was a rather ironic topic to digest during a luncheon seminar, all puns intended. This topic is of increasing interest due to the rising epidemic of obesity. Ritter began his talk with shocking statistics. In the 90s, less than ten percent of the Washington State population was considered obese. To be obese a person must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 30. The body mass index takes into account total body weight, height, and other variables to produce the index number. As of 2003, it was shown that about 25 percent of the Washington State population is obese. Yet, this doesn’t seem as shocking as the fact that one third of the American population is obese, and two thirds of the population is considered overweight. Ritter also pointed out that this is not only affecting Americans. The World Health Organization has shown that there are increasing cases of obesity throughout the developing

world and obesity is soon to be one of the leading causes of health problems worldwide. Ritter’s research focuses on finding out what mechanisms underlie this phenomenon. Ritter suggested that this problem stems from the evolution of human behavior and the fact that most of our ancestry had to put considerable

of the current epidemic, according to Ritter. We are putting considerably less effort into foraging for food and the food we do eat is much higher in calories that the food energy taken in is greatly outweighing the energy expended. One thing contributing to this is the fact that our general activity level has decreased. To illustrate this, Ritter pre-

effort into gathering food. Therefore, the amount of food energy they were taking in was about equal to the energy expended by physical activity. It is this simple fact which is the cause for much

sented the infamous picture of the evolution of man from monkeys; however the final man was reclined in a Lay-ZBoy, surrounded by potato chips and candy. This drew quite a few chuckles

from the audience. However, Ritter presented something a bit less comical to the audience to illustrate the fact that meal size and caloric content has increased significantly. Twenty years ago the average fast food meal, consisting of a soda, hamburger, and French fries, topped out at about 628 calories. In contrast, the average fast food meal of today tops out at a whopping 1,450 calories; nearly an entire days worth. Ritter pointed out that it would take nearly 5 hours of solid weight training to burn off those calories. Ritter proceeded to get down to the nitty gritty details behind obesity at a physiological level. Ritter detailed the methodology behind studies he has performed in the past. One study concentrated on the role of the gastrointestinal tract in signaling satiety. He found that fullness is not signaled by the stretching of the stomach, as most laypersons believe, but rather by hormones inside the stomach. These hormones are peptides that “taste” the contents of the stomach. The hormones and their receptors act in a similar way to the taste buds on the tongue. The signal is then relayed to the vagus nerve which connects to the brain. The mechanism of control relies on nutrient content and quantity rather then just food mass, which helps to control the size of the meal so that a person does not over eat. This mechanism is undergoing much additional research and will have major implications in the battle of the bulge.

The VanCougar

12 2009

February / March

Feb. 24: 2009 WSU Vancouver Career Fair FSC and ELS Lounge / 3:30 p.m. Register online at the WSU Vancouver web site Mar. 3: Time and Energy Management Workshop FSC 104 / 4:15 p.m. Free and open to all current students Mar. 5: Brown Bag Lunch with Dr. Marco Diversi Multimedia Building, Room 217 / 11:00 a.m. Topic: Graduate School, hosted by the HD Club

Mar. 15: Bonneville Hot Springs Outing North Bonneville, Washington / 9 a.m. Register at OSI, Students $70 and Nonstudents $80 Mar. 18: Spring Alumni Networking Social To Be Announced / 5:30 p.m. RSVP by calling 360-546-9109 Apr. 4: Outdoor Paintball (Woodland) Woodland Paintball Action / 12:00 p.m. Register at OSI, Students $10 and Nonstudents $15 Apr. 9: Research Showcase 2009 Various buildings / 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Free and open to public Apr. 10: Campus Art Fair Firstenburg Commons / 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Free and open to public Apr. 18: Whitewater Rafting Trip Wind River / 10:00 a.m. Register at OSI, Students $40 and Nonstudents $50

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Distinguished Sponsors:

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Fifty Fifty words to explain the cosmos Fifty words to speak here of; Fantasy and dreams, and silly things; Fifty words to spell out love It’s unrelenting, scary-crazy Hopeful heartache burning bright Tearing, ripping and mending daily Morning, noon, and day to night Most beautiful imperfection: My most treasured recollection

Mar. 6: Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament Firstenburg Student Commons / 3:00 p.m. Register at OSI, free and open to all students

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TAIL END

Jason Paul Langley February 9th, 2009 I love you Shannon Lee Langley