The Vancougar: November 3, 2008

7"/$06("3 The Eyes, Ears and Voice of the Students at WSU-V

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PUBLIC SAFETY:

Incident Ready?

November 3, 2008

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Winter Wonders:



n NEWS, 11

the science behind the season

Photos by Gregory E. Zschomler

Washington State University - Vancouver

Also in this issue:

Hamilton Mtn. Hike

n SPORTS & REC., 11

WSU COUGAR FOOTBALL

WSU Cougars vs USC Trojans; game makes history and sets records.

n SPORTS & REC., 10

REC. CENTER Progress Report

n ASWSUV, 6

The results are in: Campus Presidential poll has picked a winner! n ASWSUV, 6

Halloween Cosmic Bowling;

n FEATURES, 14

Fall colors reveal their beauty on campus as Mt. St. Helens begins its yearly gathering of snow in the distance.

By Kayla Page The VanCougar

As many of you have noticed, it’s cold outside! Fall has crept upon

us faster than expected. Many of us probably wish the summer would last a little bit longer. This being said, the crisp fall mornings have brought plenty of changes. Walking to class it is easy to spot leaves of every color that will soon be littering the campus sidewalks. The beauty of the reds and oranges sprinkled among the deep greens that normally comprise the Northwestern horizon is quite awe inspiring. However, with a beautiful horizon also come bone-chilling

temperatures and flu-related chills. What else occurs as the seasons change? How do these things happen, and why? Being a campus full of many science oriented minds, many will be intrigued to understand some of the science behind the season. Why does the change in the weather cause a ‘sluggish’ feeling? The reason seasons initially change is due to the rotation of the earth upon its axis. During the winter, the northern hemisphere is rotated away from the sun, while the southern hemisphere is closer. It is this rotation that causes the earth

to be at an angle with respect to the sun. This means the suns rays are not coming directly onto the northern hemisphere and accounts for the cooler temperatures. The shift in the earth’s relation to the sun also affects the length of the days, and the levels of sunlight we get. This 365 day elliptical orbit of the earth around the star has an additional, but small affect. Sunlight contains a vital element for our survival: Vitamin D. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), vitamin D is essential for maintain bone density,

n SEASONS, p13

Fullbright Scholar Big Freeze on Jobs By Hannah Walker The VanCougar

Dr. John Barber, co-director of the Digital Technology and Culture program at WSU-V, has attracted WSU-V’s first international attention. Fulbright scholar and Ukrainian native, Nataliya Shpylova has come to study the writing of Richard Brautigan. Barber is considered the leading expert on Brautigan, the author of “Trout Fishing in America” and other works. The Fulbright scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. department of State. It works to allow scholars all over the world to study internationally. It is a highly competitive scholarship and speaks to the prestige of the recipient. Scholars focus on a specific research area and are matched with selected professors, researchers and academics. Barber is considered the leading expert in Shpylova’s area of study, and it was his expertise that drew Shpylova to this campus. Shpylova’s area of study is the American counterculture of the 1960’s, and specifically, American author Richard Brautigan.

The presence of Barber at WSU-V is a source of Cougar pride. His attraction of a Fulbright scholar speaks to the potential of this campus, as well as being an outstanding resource for students. Even so, Barber credits the University. “We all can take pride that our University has been acknowledged by this incredibly international organization as a place where a Fulbright scholar could come and do some work…I’m very much enjoying being a part of the community and building this University which has such great promise.” Barber has his degree in Rhetoric and Linguistics and has previously taught all around the country. His interest in Brautigan sparked from his time at Montana State University where Brautigan taught. Barber took a creative writing class from him. This relationship served to inspire Barber’s research for the rest of his academic and scholarly career. Included in his accomplishments, aside from his leadership in research on Brautigan, include and exhaus-

n SCHOLAR, p15

By Isaac Madsen The VanCougar

The hiring freeze instituted by President Floyd this September is beginning to have effect on the WSU Vancouver campus. Although not instituting program or personnel cuts, WSU-V is limiting the number of people it is actively recruiting. This has been prompted primarily by a weak economy and the politics if the Washington State gubernatorial election. Lynn Valenter, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations, outlined the steps WSU-V has taken in implementing the hiring and travel freeze in an email interview. “Of 19 currently open faculty positions—vacant or authorized—we are proceeding with hiring 8 positions, leaving 11 positions open. We have also frozen 15 staff positions,” Valenter said. One of the primary reasons that WSU is undergoing a hiring freeze is because of the uncertain condition of our nation’s economy. According to Amy Wharton, head of the college of liberal arts, WSU joins other universities all over the nation in facing possible funding cutbacks.

Recent economic trouble prompts questions as to how much revenue will be generated by the State. Since state universities are funded by state and federal governments, they may receive less funding than usual. Wharton said that if people were not buying things, and consequently not providing the state with sales tax revenue, there would be a drop in funding. The economy is not the only reason that WSU has had to institute a hiring freeze. Because of the uncertainty of this year’s gubernatorial election, university officials are unable to predict a possible budget. The candidate that gets elected will create a new budget for state universities. In addition, Washington State is entering the legislative session with a $3.2 billion shortfall. “The concern is that the State is currently forecasting a $3.2 billion revenue shortfall and it may get worse,” Valenter said. “Without raising taxes, to balance the budget, allocated funding must be reduced.” Despite concerns, the impact of economic troubles and funding short-

n FREEZE, p15

The VanCougar

2 The VanCougar The VanCougar is a student-run newspaper serving the students, faculty and staff of WSU Vancouver. Copies of The VanCougar are available free of charge every other Monday during the school year .

Editor-in-Chief Gregory E. Zschomler Managing Editor Kati Hughes Ad Manager Dan Rauchenstein Advisor Dean Baker Copy Editor HELP WANTED! ACE Editor Beau Baxter Rosser Sports & Rec Editor Katie Wells Staff Writers & Photographers Beau Baxter Rosser, Rosann Bartel, Robert Chu, Matt Hunter, Collin Rickman, Willy Chi Shue Tsang, Louise Wynn, Jason Garcia, Hannah Walker, Shane Monroe, Kevin Raymond, Danielle Mosier, Ruth Zschomler, Kyle Ralston, Jake Kleinschmidt, Isaac Madsen, Matthew Wright Illustrators Danielle Mosier and Anita Fleming Layout and Design Greg Zschomler and Kati Hughes Web Editor Michael Hatch © 2008 The VanCougar

CLS 212 14024 NE Salmon Creek Ave. Vancouver, WA 98686 Phone: (360) 546-9524 Fax: (360) 546-9072 General e-mail , comments, and employment inquiries [email protected] Letters to the editor, guest columns, and corrections [email protected] Advertising queries [email protected] We are hiring! We are always hiring. No experience is necessary; we will provide all the training you need in journalistic style, photography, and digital printmaking. E-mail us at vancoug@ vancouver.wsu.edu or visit our office in CLS 212 for more information. Letters to the Editor We encourage letters to the editor. Please include your full name as part of the letter, and a phone number or e-mail address for confirmation follow-up. Letters must be by a student, faculty, or staff member. Guest Columns & Comics The VanCougar accepts guest columns and comics from current students of WSU Vancouver. Interested students should e-mail us at [email protected]. Advertising queries Advertising information and rates can be found on our website at www.vancougar. com. Advertising rate sheets are available via e-mail and postal mail. E-mail vancoug@ vancouver.wsu.edu for quotes. Corrections policy It is our policy to correct errors. Please contact the editors by e-mail at vancouged@ vancouver.wsu.edu.

Letters to the Editors The disconnect between Obama and radicalism: To the editors: Matt Hunter’s political opinion piece (Oct. 20) is a mish-mash of outright lies, mean-spirited innuendos, and worn-out accusations shown long ago to be inaccurate. I often enjoy reading opposing political views, but only when the writer uses well-reasoned arguments based on facts in order to make interesting and thought-provoking points. I hope for that kind of writing from university students, so I was disappointed to read Matt’s column in the VanCougar. The fact is that demagoguery and democracy are incompatible. Our nation will thrive if we work together to find truth, rather than using bitter and ugly words to attack each other. Here are some facts to balance Matt’s column. First, William Ayers: A basic Wikipedia search gives neutral background information about Ayers and Obama’s work with the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs finds stories about Obama’s supposed association with Ayers false. Ayers, a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, remains a board member of the Woods Fund, which selected him because of his “passion for social justice.” Fund president Deborah Harrington told Dobbs that any connection between Obama and Ayers outside their board-related activities is “a stretch.” She added, “Barack was very well known in Chicago, and a highly respected legislator. It would be difficult to find people round here who never volunteered or contributed money to one of his campaigns.” Conservative professor Richard Epstein, a John McCain supporter, told Fox News on Oct. 19 that the idea of a connection between Obama and Ayers is “ridiculous.” The Fox reporter asked, “You don’t think William Ayers and Barack Obama may share some sort of radical ideas?” Epstein said, flatly, “No.” Second, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN): Anyone interested in the facts about this organization should check out its Web site. ACORN works to provide health care, fair housing, legal support in employment disputes, and many other services to poor and marginalized citizens. ACORN does not register voters but gathers signatures of people who want to register, and sends the signatures to state officials. ACORN has acknowledged that a few of the signature-gatherers it hired faked some signatures, but the organization itself acted in good faith. Two years ago, John McCain commended ACORN members for being “what makes America special.” The lies about Obama and ACORN appear to have been started by Ken Blackwell, who led the Bush campaign’s efforts in Ohio in 2004 to keep citizens from registering and voting as Democrats. Here are the facts: Obama, along with the U.S. Dept. of Justice, represented ACORN in a 1992 lawsuit to force the state of Illinois to comply with federal voting access laws. Obama and the Justice Dept. won, so now Illinois citizens can register to vote at the DMV—a privilege we enjoy here in Washington, and not a radical idea at all. Third, Jeremiah Wright: Obama says it best in his statement “On My Faith and My Church,” where he writes, “I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy.” He adds that he never personally heard those statements from the pulpit or in conversation with Rev. Wright, and repeats: “All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.” Obama doesn’t “hang out with” a communist or socialist “crowd.” And John McCain’s recent accusations that Obama’s progressive tax proposal is “socialist” ring false when McCain has been saying since 2000 that “there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more” in taxes when you “reach a certain level of comfort.” Such accusations, made in spite of long-established evidence to the contrary, are out of place in civil discourse, which should be the aim of a campus newspaper. Printing such accusations, especially without representing some opposing opinions, makes it appear that the VanCougar supports them. You’ve provided a forum for those tired old lies, and your disclaimer isn’t enough without a balancing opinion piece. I invite VanCougar readers to check the facts for themselves (see sidebar for my sources). And if you want to read something different in the VanCougar, I know the editors want to hear from you. I’d like to see us all living up to the American democratic ideal which Barack Obama expressed this way: “I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States.”

LETTERS

Got Opinion? Free speech. It’s a right we often neglect. If you’ve got something on your mind or just need to get something off your chest drop us a line. The VanCougar is THE place and platform to voice YOUR opinion. The VanCougar welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters must be by students, faculty or staff and include name and contact information for varification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for length or content. Letters are printed at the discretion of the editors, but do not necessarily reflect their views. Intentionally inflamatory remarks and racial, sexual or religious slurs or extreme profanity will not be published. Please email your letters and comments to: [email protected] OR [email protected]

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Sincerely, Louise Wynn The views expressed on the editorial and opinion pages are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect on the opinions or biases of the writers, editors, or other staff members of the VanCougar.

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Want to know where Louise Wynn found her information? Check out these sites: Definition of “demagogue”: http:// dictionary.reference.com/browse/demagogue Obama’s Assoc. With Ayers and Weatherman: http://blog. washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/ obamas_weatherman_connection.html Chicago Annenberg challenge: http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Chicago_Annenberg_Challenge Woods fund Staff: http://www. woodsfund.org/site/epage/61431_735.htm Fox news interview with mccain supporter: http://www.newshounds. us/2008/10/19/fox_news_reporter_suggests_ obama_and_ayers_share_radical_ideas.php ACORN Website: http://www.acorn.org Acorn Rumor: http://my.barackobama.com/acornrumor Wa DMV voter registration: http:// www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/voter.html Obama’s statement regarding jeremiah wright: http://www.barackobama. com/2008/03/14/on_my_faith_and_my_church. php?source=sem-pm-fts-rw-search-us&gclidCIeW1tz0y5YCFQQCagodX302xw obama’s tax proposal: http://www. cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news000002980186&cpage=2 Obama’s positions on issues: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

LETTERS

November 3, 2008

Letters to the Editors Concerning the report of a “rat” in the dining hall: Dear Editor, I am quite reluctant to put myself out here, but I feel I really must after reading your article, “RAT in the dining hall!” published in the October 20,2008 edition of the VanCougar. Aside from the sensational and defamatory angle from which the article was written, there were several factual errors in the article, the most important being the information related to the last health inspection at the WSUV Dining Room. According to the Clark County Public Health department, the last inspection was October 2nd, 2008, where the WSUV Dining Room scored a 5, not 13 as you reported… Although the error above is certainly the most egregious, the animal that was captured and exterminated was a mouse, not a rat. You further neglected to verify the correct spelling of the name of the Facilities Operations staff member, Dave Zilavy, who is a carpenter, not a custodian. Also left out of the article was the reassurance to students, staff, and faculty that the Café staff had already taken the necessary steps to have the exterminator come and prevent any further infestation. The VanCougar is a great vehicle for student news and campus events, and I have a great deal of respect for (as well as personal experience with) the amount of work it takes to run it. I enjoyed many of the articles in this issue and really liked the Halloween theme. However, any newspaper loses credibility when a story is as fraught with errors and as obviously meanspirited as this one was. Respectfully, Jeannette Altman Classroom & Instruction Technician II, Fine Arts Dear Greg, It occurs to me after speaking with you that perhaps some of my moreinflammatory language regarding my interpretation of the article, “RAT in the dining hall” was misplaced in the letter I sent you earlier today. I believe I was incorrect and unfair to imply that the article was written purposefully in a “mean-spirited” way... In any case, I stand behind the correction of the facts in my earlier email. I do not request you publish my email(s) in the next issue, although if you choose to, it is certainly your right to. However, I do think a correction at least is warranted. It is not my intention to spread negativity about our student newspaper, which is a resource the campus is fortunate to have. Respectfully, Jeannette Altman

Editor’s Response Dear Readers: Rats! I hate it when the facts aren’t straight. I hate it even more when it’s my fault. Incidently, I also received a letter from Dave Zilavy with similar sentiments. So, here’s the deal: We, at The VanCougar could not identify the rodent’s species and so we contacted the best campus authority we could—Dr. Michael Berger who is a biologist in our Science Department. Here is what he wrote: “I have to admit that I am not a rodent expert by any means...If you want my two unofficial cents, I think the rodent in your photo might be a pack rat. I say that because the tail is long and has a “fluffy” look to it. It could also be a true rat, like a brown rat. I do not think it is a mouse because of the size...” Had I known that Altman was an expert in rodentia I would have contacted her. In the end I went with the best source I had and did use the phrase “believed to be.” Rat, mouse—both can spread disease and students “have the right to know.” That is not sensationalism. BTW, the verdict is in. Robert Flores, Project Leader at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge writes, “You have deer mice. They have a bi-colored tail that has hair on it, large ears and eyes. The color of the hair varies with regional distribution. This is a common native mouse not a European transplant.” Of course it took two days to get that confirmation. I am truly sorry for misspelling Zilavy; that’s something I take very seriously and tried to reach him to double-check. I could only reach Kim Estes, in Facilities Operations, who gave me the spelling over the phone, I read it back. Somewhere along the line I still got it wrong. He claims he asked that I not print the quote I used. He did request that I not quote him on something else he said which I respected. The health report I read online said 13 points. It’s possible a later report was posted after I went online. The marks were not over cleanliness matters, but for not keeping food at the right temperatures. All I can say is that I tried to do right in the time I had. Students had the right to know and not two weeks down the road. We all continue striving to bring you accurate, timely, and imnportant news. ~Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s response to this issue’s “Sluice Box”: Sweden: No more sick than US. In Matt Hunter’s very well written and well argued article “Sweden: A Socialist Utopia?” the author goes through a list of actions that the country has taken that label it “something America does not want to copy.” While I agree that a socialist government would not be in the United States’ best interests, I do have something to say about the events and actions Mr. Hunter chose to focus on and others he chose to ignore. I am in an interesting position as Managing Editor of the VanCougar. I have the privilege of reading every article that is printed in advance of its publication. I have chosen to take advantage of this position, but I assure you this is the only time it will happen. Some of the information provided in Mr. Hunter’s column brought to mind many events in American history that I have learned about through my slightly eccentric interest in our country’s past atrocities. First, let’s discuss current events. Mr. Hunter uses the long waiting periods of Swedish medical facilities as an example of the failings of socialism. It isn’t that there isn’t a waiting list in Sweden; it’s just that there is also one in America, and we don’t have socialized health care. Here, people like my good friend’s aunt have to wait several years before they can get a hysterectomy that will most likely stop the debilitating effects of epilepsy triggered by peri-menopause (because they are “still of childbearing age”). In addition, there are people who die of perfectly treatable and even preventable medical conditions like influenza, because they can’t afford health insurance to cover the cost of treatment. Here it isn’t about a waiting list; it’s about money. Socialized health care - like our own socialized postal service – would make this resource available to all. Don’t like socialism? Don’t use your mailbox. It’s a socialist. The argument regarding Sweden’s abstinence from participation in WWII brought to my mind the fact that the United States remained distant from the global struggle until December, 1941 (almost five years after the war had begun). The cities of the United States were not “bombed to rubble” either, except for one military base in Hawaii. Like Sweden, the United States profited from the display of human vileness that was World War II. However, the profits that were made based on this war did not go to the country as a whole; the money went to the owners of companies that had invested in war profiteering. Perhaps this is where the American tradition of making the rich richer while the poor stay poor really began to pick up steam. The United States’ involvement in WWII incontrovertibly helped to turn the tide and bring victory to our allies, defeat to the Nazi’s, and bring freedom to those who had been held prisoner in concentration camps and ghettos throughout Europe. However, our country did not get involved until we were affected by it directly. This is not, in my mind, a bad thing. It does make me think that Sweden may have gotten involved had they been attacked as brutally as America was. I see their lack of involvement as maintaining the focus on its own people and progress as a nation; something we could have done had we not been attacked. I need only briefly mention the elephant-in-the-room that is the creation of Japanese internment camps throughout the US. Regarding the argument that Sweden’s government funded compulsory or forced sterilization in an effort to bring about a “progressive, enlightened welfare state” reminds me of our country’s involvement in compulsory sterilization. Mr. Hunter fails to mention the fact that the United States legitimized forced sterilization of “the mentally retarded” via the Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell in 1927. This does not, however, mark the beginning of our country’s relationship with this hideous and anti-freedom practice. As early as 1905 laws were passed on a state level to legitimize this practice used on Native Americans and African Americans without their knowledge or consent. The United States was actually the first nation to “concertedly undertake compulsory sterilization programs for the purpose of eugenics” (as a simple Wikipedia search of “compulsory sterilization” will show). Not until relatively recently in the history of our country was the practice of forced sterilization of infants with Down’s Syndrome made illegal; these sterilizations were often performed without the knowledge or consent of the parents. After sterilization was associated with the many versions of genocide committed by Adolf Hitler in WWII, public opinion began to disapprove of the practice. 26 states still had compulsory sterilization laws on the books in 1956. It can be argued that the United States never federally funded sterilization programs and therefore isn’t as bad as Sweden; but it can also be argued that the social acceptance of the practice in our country’s history is even more dangerous than any government funded project. Laws can be repealed and Supreme Court cases overturned, but it is much more difficult to change a culturally accepted idea. Clearly, we do not want to emulate any of the negative practices of the Swedish government. However, we also need to avoid our own past negative inclinations. ~Kati Hughes Managing Editor

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The VanCougar

Of Mice and Men Error Alert: the “critter in the kitchen” wasn’t a rat, it was a mouse (see the letters on page 2). Hey, we tried. What!? Did you think we Wiki-ed it? Are you crazy! Every teacher on campus drills it into students about how unreliable of a source it is. Good place to start though. It seems that all the breaking campus news stories are the hardest to write—AND most prone to error. First, you gotta be in the right place at the right time. No one announces these things so you basically just have to keep your nose to the wind and, even at that, just stumble upon them. They always happen at the “last minute” when you’re busy with other things (like putting a paper together that has been preplanned). They disrupt your schedule; they disrupt your layout, they disrupt your plan. Seems we’re always pressed for time when we get such a scoop and that deadline looms. And sometimes, being mere men (and women), we make mistakes.

The Grapes of Wrath Such stories are the most difficult thing we do—and the most important. And every time we report on any really newsworthy incident we are accused of “sensationalizing?” The café rodent, the labor union arrest, the SWAT team exercise and the classroom incident—all criticized for “sensationalism” and all hard news. Because they grate some folks the wrong way they get worked up and then try to slam us with anything they can find: accusations of inaccuracies (sometimes true, sometimes not), misquotes (never yet), or even a misspelling or punctuation anomaly. Some folks don’t understand news I guess. Some want just the fluffy stuff: the latest campus speech, the latest awards ceremony, the art

display—you know the “press release” things. Don’t get me wrong, I think a campus paper needs these things. We should cover club events, student government, achievement, etc. Yes, we need plenty of photoops so people can catch their mug in print. And we need some opinion: students spouting off about what ticks them off and what the world ought to be like. That’s what a student newspaper is for. Partly. We are also a journalism training ground and therefore need to learn about beats and reporting, interviews, reviews, news writing and layout. And so we learn—without a course of study or degree program in journalism—how to do it right on the job. Thrown to the lions, so to speak. And, you know what? That’s sensational!

East of Eden In our last issue Matt Hunter submitted his usual column. Matt is an excellent writer and often a profound thinker. Fact is, we enjoy having him. He is always a gentleman and a kinder guy you will never meet. However, in print he sometimes gets a bit worked up and doesn’t always “play nice.” He has been known to “run with the scissors,” if you get my drift. In this last issue he had two pair. To say Mr. Hunter (he calls me mister so I’ll return the favor) is a conservative is a bit conservative. I wouldn’t call him a conservative conservative; I’d call him an extreme conservative—at least some time. Sometimes it seems he can go so far right that he can see Russia from his front yard. (Alaska is not only the most northern state, it is also the most western and eastern state as it crosses the International Dateline. The point is at one place in Alaska you could be both right and left, east and west, today and tomorrow, but I digress.) My main point is: Neither Kati nor I agreed with the tenor or content of Matt’s piece. We were reluctant to run it. We did run it. We got some flack and that’s okay. Matt is entitled to his opinion. And that’s what it was—opinion. Yes, we think some of his facts aren’t straight, though he claims they are. So, what can I say? It’s up to the reader to sort this out. Do some thinking; make your own judgment. That’s what Mr. Hunter would want you to do. Anyway, to present a more “balanced view of the world” we are (and have been) seeking a writer who will write from a liberal point of view. We’d love to hear from you. Don’t be mousey about it. If you want to get anywhere in this life it won’t happen playing it safe. Pack up that old Model T and head fer Californ-i-a. Okee-dokee?

The views expressed on the editorial and opinion pages are

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OP ED

Caffein’d By Kati Hughes Managing Editor

Ever since I started this column, memories of my old haunts have flooded my thoughts. Crema Dolce was one of them, and the experience of reviewing the café was one of my favorites. This issue, I made up my mind to return to my favorite high school coffee spot, Ice Cream Renaissance. Oh, the memories! Ice Cream Renaissance is more than just an ice cream shop. Their ice cream is hand crafted and each dish is made into a work or art. The same can be said of their coffee, though you wouldn’t think so by looking at the way they advertise. The promo’s are all about the dessert, and most other reviews pay little attention to their espresso. The place is covered with local art, but the décor focuses on—you guessed it—Renaissance art. Even the bathroom is covered with works like the Blue Boy; table tops consist of prints of well-known Renaissance art and timelines of the artists’ lives, as well as cultural events during the period. The ice cream dishes are even named after Renaissance works. It’s a great place to go if you’re into art history. My first time at Ice Cream Renaissance couldn’t have been long after it first opened. I was in the eighth grade and attended the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics (VSAA), which happened to be just up Main Street from the ice cream shop. I had some time to kill after school, and some of my friends suggested trying that “weird artsy ice cream place down the road.” Being about thirteen years old, my friends and I loved that the water came in old wine carafes, and that the

Kati’s curiously captivating coffee-addled commentary

owners didn’t mind a bunch of us kids hanging around most of the afternoon and sharing one bowl of ice cream. Almost immediately, it became a regular hangout. After I graduated, I stopped going there because I worked on the other side of town. When I went back, just because I couldn’t resist, I took one of my best friends from high school with me. While we were there, I asked if the “VSAA kids” still like to hang out there. The person who served us laughed and said “Oh yeah! 4:05 on the dot, they’re here.” I felt like that same funky little kid I was, sitting there sipping a Jack Frost (a dark-and-white chocolate mocha with peppermint) and talking art with my friend. The coffee was perfect for the season and the atmosphere. The season was autumn—chilly and refreshing—and the atmosphere was nostalgic — warm and soothing. It was almost like coming home. The person that I talked to while I was there asked me not to use his name or most of the quotes once he found out I was asking all of these questions for a newspaper article. One thing can be said for this—the people there are so friendly and conversational, they don’t even suspect a girl of being a reporter when she asks questions! Out of respect for his privacy I omitted all but one of the quotations I took down, which explains the long-winded account of my high school hangout. I hope you enjoyed my memories as much as I do. And, I hope you will stop by Ice Cream Renaissance and try their coffee. To suggest your favorite coffee shop for review, email me at [email protected], or come by the VanCougar office during my office hours.

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OPINION

November 3, 2008

Sweden: a Socialist Utopia?

The Sluice Box By Matt Hunter In a discussion of welfare or socialism, a question is bound to come up: what about Sweden? For many liberals, Swedish socialism is the Holy Grail. Cradle to the grave welfare, guaranteed employment, healthcare—it all sounds fantastic. A closer look at Sweden tells a very different story. The Social Democrats took power in 1932 on the eve of perhaps the most costly war in history. But Sweden had the “wisdom” to stay out of WWII and profited from the decision. Sweden’s cities were not bombed to rubble. Swedish industry hummed away in the chaos, profiting like America from the worldwide demand for goods. So when the storm subsided, Sweden was a solid and wealthy nation surrounded by a weary, war-torn

continent. As in America, the economic momentum created by WWII carried Sweden for many years after the war, despite increasing socialism. In the 1950s, Sweden implemented welfare, which provided the user an extraordinary 80 percent of his or her last income for at least five years. To pay for this, taxes rose for those not on welfare. To make matters worse, the social climate turned against the entrepreneurs that had brought so much wealth to Sweden during WWII. The government and the media portrayed those who started their own businesses as exploiting people. By the late 1970s, many of the entrepreneurs had left for less hostile environments, like Germany. The Swedish government shed no tears at the loss, believing they could do without small businesses. But surprise, surprise! The economy in the late 80s creaked to a stop. The Swedish government was running on a substantial deficit trying to pay for healthcare and welfare and all of the other fares of a socialist system. Most of the tax revenue—the entrepreneurs—had

fled, leaving only governmentowned businesses. In 1991, the Swedes elected the Conservative party, which set about privatizing state-monopolized markets and lowering federal taxes from around 90 percent to 50 percent. Again, fortune was with Sweden. The technology boom of the 90s was heating up, and entrepreneurs began to trickle back into Sweden. Within five years, Sweden was a hotbed of technological innovation. While Sweden today still has high taxes, it is competitive with other European countries. The 90s also saw the unsustainable Swedish healthcare system reformed. While the system remains highly socialist, the reforms of the 90s brought about some privatization in the system. Like Canada, however, Sweden is plagued by the waiting list. According to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare 2003 status report, nearly 40 percent of patients needing a gallstone operation had to wait three months or more! 40 percent of people needing hearing aid fittings have to wait more than three months. The average patient in Sweden has about a 50 percent chance of getting his

5 or her operation before three months have lapsed. In all socialist systems, the nation rather than the individual is the priority. Thus, whatever makes the state more efficient is desirable. If the healthcare system is being weighed down by unhealthy and mentally unstable people, it’s most practical to eliminate the undesirables. Now, this may sound like something the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany would do. But as the Washington Post in 1997 revealed, Sweden also practiced racial purification. “From 1934 to 1974, 62,000 Swedes were sterilized as part of a national program grounded in the science of racial biology and carried out by officials who believed they were helping to build a progressive, enlightened welfare state.” Those individuals judged inferior were sterilized. Sweden also lobotomized about 4500 people deemed “undesirable.” Many of these sterilizations and lobotomies were done against the individuals’ will. Needless to say, Swedish socialism is not something America wants to copy.

Languages: evolving even as we speak

Why do you ask? By Louise Wynn Last time I quoted Alfred Hitchcock talking about using “a scissor.” That struck me as gratingly wrong, so I looked up “scissors” in the Compact Oxford English Dictionary and found that the correct use is “scissors” or “a pair of scissors,” though when you use the word as an adjective in front of another word, you can take the last “s” off, as in “scissor kick.” I felt vindicated. But then I found an online grammar test for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners with this sentence: “I’m looking for _____ to cut this string.” The choices for the “correct” answer were: a) a pair scissors b) a scissor c) a scissors d) some scissors Where was the expression I’d been taught was correct? I asked myself, “Is the English language evolving right under my nose?” And I had to answer myself, “Yes, it is…” English is evolving, literally, as we speak, under everyone’s nose (because that’s where our mouth is). Almost every time we speak we are using words and phrases very different from those used by our ancestors. Dr. Mark Pagel spoke about how languages change in a lecture at WSU on Oct. 23. Using methods commonly associated with research into genetics and biological evolution, he has looked at how languages have changed over humanity’s history. He started with these questions: Why is there so much language diversity? Why are there over 8,000 separate and mutually incomprehensible languages in the world today, some separated by only a few miles and a

mountain or valley? Why in just the past 1,000 years has English changed so much that we can’t read even a few lines of “Beowulf” without the aid of an Anglo-Saxon dictionary and grammar? To answer these questions, he looked at the history of words within English and among several Indo-European languages. Did you know that the words in every known human language for “two,” “three,” “I” and “who” are pretty much the same throughout the world and over the centuries? On the other hand, words for “to count,” “to dig,” “if,” “rub” and “sand” have changed so much that there’s very little similarity across language groups. (We do see similarities within groups, though; for example, the English word verb “to count” is similar to its cognates in the Romance languages, where we borrowed it from). Some words evolve more slowly, Pagel believes, because we use them so frequently that we make fewer “production errors.” Other words evolve very quickly because we use them very infrequently, leaving our use open to changes in pronunciation, gender, or number—or even to complete replacement with a new word, borrowed from another, more dominant speaker. These changes may at first be perceived as “errors,” but they may eventually come to be considered the “proper” use or pronunciation. Thus my grandmother’s use of “a pair of scissors” or, if one had to shorten the expression, at least “scissors,” seems to be trumped in contemporary English by uses like Hitchcock’s. On the other hand, grammarians are still proclaiming “rules” for those of us who are unsure of ourselves and unwilling to tempt the red pen of our English teacher (or editor). Patricia T. O’Conner writes on a grammar blog (http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2007_02_01_grammarphobiacom_archive.html), for instance, that the word “scissors” is “an invariable noun that exists only in the plural. There’s no noun ‘scissor,’ though

there’s a verb ‘scissor’ that means to trim with scissors. An invariable noun has only one form (that is, in the sense of singular vs. plural).” Then O’Conner goes on to explain the three kinds of invariable nouns. If you’d like this kind of certainty, you can buy her “Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in

Plain English,” available at Amazon. com for about $11.00 or at Powells.com for $8.00. Or ask your questions online at her grammar blog. Grammarians can’t enforce the rules. Earth’s languages are changing, and some are even disappearing. Next time: Why? Hint: It has something to do with human nature.

NEED TO EXPRESS YOURSELF? The Salmon Creek Journal is now accepting submissions. Faculty, staff, and students currently enrolled at Washington State University Vancouver are encouraged to submit their poetry, prose (fiction, non-fiction, or essay), and visual art to be considered for publication in the 2009 Salmon Creek Journal.

2009 Salmon Creek Journal

The Literary Journal at Washington State University Vancouver

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 15, 2008. Visit our website for printable submission guidelines & the submission form: http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/scj/scj/scjhome.htm Questions? Please contact:

A. K. Huseby Editor-In-Chief 2009 Salmon Creek Journal [email protected]

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The VanCougar

ASWSUV

From the President: Recreation Center Update I have already written to you this semester about the Student Recreation and Wellness Center project, but I felt that the time was appropriate to share with you the current state of the project. As you may know, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center planning committee recently contracted with Brailsford & Dunlavey (B&D), facility planning consultants. Project Managers from B&D came to our campus two weeks ago in order to conduct preliminary research about our student body and the surrounding community. They directed student and faculty/staff focus groups, as well as intercept interviews, to get a feel for our general interest in physical fitness, recreation and wellness. You may have participated in these interviews. Perhaps you were able to share your opinion about the project and provide some insight to the B&D consultants. Thank you for taking the time to contribute to this process by sharing your opinions and information so that we can accurately create a facility that is right for WSU

Vancouver students. It is critical that all students participate in this process by engaging in constructive dialogue with student leaders, administration, B&D consultants, and each other. We must engage in this conversation. With the excitement of this year’s Presidential Election coming to a climax, it is important to remember that it is through our vote—our participation—that our voice is heard. The size and scope of the Recreation Center project is such that it will have a significant impact on student life at WSU Vancouver, providing new and exciting student opportunities students for years to come. Though we have excellent staff and students that currently lead our Recreation program, as well as an increasingly large student population taking advantage of the opportunities the program offers, it has some very significant limitations. We recently expanded our fitness center and opened the all-purpose playing fields on the west end of campus, but the lack of truly adequate facilities severely limits the availability of many new recreation opportunities and limits the accessibility of those currently offered. The fitness center is already experiencing growth that will soon test its capacity, and other programs such as open gym basketball are so crowded that many students are unable to participate [VanCougar, Oct. 20th, pg. 11]. A Student Recreation and Wellness Center will provide facilities that will not only meet the needs of the current student body, but will open to it a wave of new programs and services. The question before you is

Dear President Sterr: I’d like to point out that the VanCougar does NOT support the Recreation Center building project as it stands. While we believe that such a facility is eventually in order we do not feel that current students should have any stake in paying for it. Until we are assured that no student will pay a dime until the year it is to open we will not support the project. Tuition costs are high enough without having to pay for something we will never be able to use. We feel this is a widely felt sentiment. ~The Editors

“what would you like to see included in this new building?” Would you like to see expanded fitness areas? Would you like to see multiple basketball courts? An indoor running track? Multi-purpose dance and fitness rooms? Nutritional training? A performing arts facility within the Recreation Center? Share your opinions with us! This will be your Recreation Center, and it is only appropriate that you decide what it offers. We will be releasing a survey on November 9th that will allow you to directly participate in the planning of this project by sharing with us what you would like to see in a campus Recreation Center. The survey will be available for approximately ten days through your MyWSU account as well as your WSU email address. There will be instructions posted around campus on how to participate, and student leaders will be available to help you if needed. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard. Take advantage of it and help create change on our campus. To further motivate your participation, once you complete the survey you will be entered into a drawing to win one of several significant prizes that are yet to be determined. Take a few minutes to share with us what you would like to see in a Student Recreation and Wellness Center so that we may create a facility that gives you one more reason to be proud that you are a COUG. Thank you. Please direct any questions or comments to [email protected]. edu ~Peter Sterr, ASWSUV President

Campus Presidential Poll: The results are in and overwhelmingly Obama WSU-V Official 2008 General Election Poll

By Collin Rickman The VanCougar

Neither 8%

John McCain 31%

Barack Obama 61%

61-31

A recent school-wide poll (featured on The VanCogar’s website) showed that WSU-V voters like the idea of Barack Obama sitting in the Oval Office come January 20th. Nearly two-thirds of those who took the survey said that they would vote for the Junior Senator from Illinos to lead the country, while only one-third of the respondees indicated they preferred the Senior Senator from Arizona John McCain as the next commander-in-chief. The remainder of the respondees (8%) preferred neither candidate. Over 100 votes were cast in the poll. At press time, the daily Gallup Poll gives Obama the edge over McCain by a mere three points, 49-46. Will WSU-V’s poll match the outcome of the actual election? We’ll all find out late on Election night—Tuesday, November 4.

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The VanCougar

Recreation & Sports

Cougs blocked from victory Story & Photos By Katie Wells Rec & Sports Editor

WSU Volleyball was defeated by Oregon State at home on October 17. The Beavers squeezed past the Cougars in four games with scores of 25-19, 19-25, 25-18, and 25-23. WSU kept every game within seven points; earning 46 kills, 45 assists, 67 digs, 3 blocks, and 56 service points. However, that wasn’t good enough. Oregon State, though losing game two, took games one and three with ease. In the fourth game of the match, it couldn’t have been any closer. The scores were tied 14 times, and the lead was exchanged a total of eight times. With a tied score of 23-23, OSU’s Jill Sawatzky hit back-toback kills to end the match. This loss was devastating to the Cougars, who had fought so hard in hopes of tieing the match

at two games a piece in order to play the fifth and final game. This loss left WSU’s record at 0-7 in the Pac10 conference play. After the seventh loss in a row, one would start to wonder why the Cougs aren’t prevailing with such skilled players. Could it be the new head coach? Head Coach, Andrew Palileo, was appointed April 15, 2008 to lead the WSU Cougars to victory. So far, that hasn’t been happening. According to his players, Palileo is doing everything right. He has equipped them with everything they need to succeed; now its up to them to “trust it, believe it, and do it.” Though his season record isn’t victorious so far this year, Palileo was named the 2007 Summit League Coach of the Year. Great things are expected from this new coach and the experienced players, whether it be this season or next.

With only seven Pac-10 games left, WSU is hoping to turn their season record around and even out the win-loss numbers. The Cougars play UCLA at home on November 7 at 7 p.m. To date, the Cougars’ record is 7-13 overall; leaving them unranked according to the AVCA.

WSU needed protection from the Trojans Story & Photos By Katie Wells Rec & Sports Editor

The University of Southern California traveled to Washington State on October 18 in hopes of playing a challenging game of college football. However, once the game began, the Trojans quickly realized that the only challenging part of this game would be the adjustment of playing with non-starters. With a final score of 69-0, that didn’t seem to be a problem. USC’s coach, Pete Carroll pulled every one of his starters out in the beginning of the first quarter, but even then, WSU just couldn’t score. For the Cougars, Kevin Lopina, #9, was starting quarterback after recovering from injuries sustained in the Portland State game. He completed 6 of 9 passes for a total of 28 yards. Since two other QB’s, Gary Rogers, #17, and Marshall Lobbestael, #8, are not expected to return to the field this season, Lopina is Washington State’s only shot. If there was one thing the Cougars succeeded at this game, it was keeping Lopina off the ground. Though WSU only managed to earn 88 rushing yards versus USC’s 326, the offensive line worked well at protecting the quarterback. In the first quarter, the Trojans scored 21 unanswered points before racking up another 20 in the next quarter. WSU, on the other hand, earned one first down in the entire half. For many fans in crimson and grey, two quarters of annihilation were enough. They left the

Above is a memorable play by WSU’s defensive back Alfonso Jackson, #1. Three players, two of which are Benny Ward, # 15, and Andrew Kreutz, #42, kneel to pray before the game. Brandon Gibson, #4, runs the ball down the field after a near fumble.

stadium before USC scored another 28 points. Without the spirited fans in the Cougar cheering section in the third quarter, three WSU first downs went practically unnoticed. The last two minutes of the game, in which the Cougars had the ball, seemed to exaggerate their performance flaws. Lopina fumbled the ball on a rush before it was recovered by WSU’s BJ Guerra with no yards gained. The next play, Chantz Staden rushed with a loss of two yards. On down three, Staden rushed again; picking up only the two yards he had just lost. Finally, before possession could be turned over to USC near the WSU 22 yard line, the clock ran out. After the game, even after such a harsh loss, the Cougars showed what good sports they were as they congratulated the Trojans, ranked No. 7, with hugs and handshakes. WSU (1-7, 0-5) has two games left until the Apple Cup after the game played last weekend. On November 22, the University of Washington (0-7, 0-4) will head to Pullman to take on the Cougars in what will be one of the closest games in the Pac-10.

Hiking Hamilton Some fact-checking and lots of phone tagging with the Gifford Pinchot By Kevin Raymond National Forest and Department of The VanCougar Natural Resources forced us to cancel A funny name for a title, I admit. on Mt. Mitchell due to road washouts. As an insider to the planning of the hike, We then considered Silver Star Mtn. as I was privy to the series of events that a convenient backup, but road washouts would have us hiking up Hamilton Mtn. limited access there also. On the verge In the beginning, this hike was meant of canceling the trip, someone suggested Hamilton Mtn. We jumped on that. Hamilton Mtn. is in Beacon Rock State Park. It is about 8 miles round trip to the top with plenty of viewpoints and a waterfall on the way. After meeting our party in the parking lot nearest The Bookie, most of us jumped in the OSI Tahoe for the drive up the gorge. As I was a reporter without Ten of the eleven hikers are featured here at the summit of Hamilton a camera, I was Mountain. After a long day of hiking, this picture break was a nice relief for happy to meet Niel them. Hayes, a graduate to be up Mt. Mitchell, which lies just student of Mechanical Engineering, with south of Mt. St. Helens, across Swift a very nice camera and some talent with Reservoir. None of us had hiked Mt. Mitchell, so we were excited to lead it as it. Around 8 a.m. the day looked a recreation activity. to be overcast and the forecast said as

much. By the time we arrived in that trailhead parking lot, though, the sky was mostly blue, the temperature was cool and the autumn colors were vivid. It was the recipe for an awesome hike. About 1.5 miles into the hike, we came upon a really nice waterfall. It is called ‘Bowl of the Winds.’ When you get close to it, you see the water has carved out a bowl shaped section in the rock. It fills that bowl and then spills over into a series of waterfalls. I was told that when the wind blows hard enough, it sometimes pushes that water back into the bowl. For brief moments the water is swirled around in the bowl until it overcomes the power of the wind. As all experienced gorge hikers know, there is only one way to get to those great viewpoints. Up! In fact, just past the waterfall we came to a fork in the trail that gave us two options. The left option was labeled ‘difficult’ and the right option was labeled ‘more difficult.’ What the sign left out was that the ‘difficult’ trail added a lot of distance to the hike. Therefore we decided ‘more

difficult’ was the necessary choice. The great part about this hike though was the continuous viewpoints. It was hard to get weary with a new viewpoint to stop at every half mile or so. Brandon Duncan recently moved here from Arizona and has never hiked in the Gorge. About this, he said, “I like all the viewpoints.” Alisa Astrakhan said “the viewpoints were really peaceful.” We finally arrived at the top of the mountain at around noon. By now our view was extended beyond the Gorge. It included Mt. Adams, framed by Table Mtn., and Mt. Hood’s rugged crown towering on the Oregon side. “Breathtaking” said DeeAnn Perler. After eating lunch, taking pictures, and chatting, we began our descent. Concerning the hike, I think Niel Hayes summed it up best when he said, “I have been taking pictures all around the world for over a decade and Hamilton Mtn. has some of the most picturesque views.”

Skate America: a fan’s report Story and Photo By Rosann The VanCougar

Bartel

I love ladies figure skating. Thus, when Everett, Washington was chosen as the site for Skate America, I was freakishly excited. When I was able to get a second row seat for $56, I nearly had a coronary of joy. In case you’re unaware, figure skating begins each season with six Grand Prix events all over the world, and Skate America is always the first. And this year, their roster for the ladies event was spectacular, featuring many of the most acclaimed international skaters. My ticket was for the ladies long program, which would determine the winner. My sentimental favorite, Kimmie Meissner, finished a disappointing eighth. She’s the 2006 World Champion, and the 2007 U.S. National Champion, but last season was devastating for her. It appears that confidence is still an issue, as she looked nervous and tight during practice, and fell twice during the performance. She shook her head at our zealous “wooing,” and shrugged off her brutal scores. Nevertheless, her arms looked softer, and she had a palpable connection to her music. I’m still optimistic. Japanese skater and 2007 World Champion, Miki Ando, landed all of her jumps and finished in third place. Miki is another one of my sentimental favorites.

She skates with a delicacy and serenity that lacks the wow factor, but is very pleasant to watch. My favorite was the underrated Yukari Nakano, the current Japanese bronze medalist. Of all the skaters, Yukari had the most heart. She smiled throughout and truly performed for the audience. She didn’t do the triple axel like she normally does, but she didn’t need it. The precision and snap of her movements was spectacular to behold. She wasn’t just arbitrarily posturing to the music; she embodied its character. Many people stood for her, and I was one of them. She deservedly won the silver medal. I hope she continues to skate well and is adequately rewarded for it, unlike last season. Of the top contenders, I was most excited about the Korean super star, Yu-Na Kim. She’s a two time Worlds bronze medalist, and two time Grand Prix Final winner. Yu-Na skates with every inch of her body. Her arms are the loveliest arms in skating, always elegantly flourishing with the music. When she launched into her insane triple-triple combination, the audience gasped in suspense and then exploded with applause at her soft landing. The young man in front of me yelled and waved a Korean flag, and so did many others. YuNa popped one jump, but still finished twenty points ahead of Yukari and won the event. I know that figure skating isn’t terribly exciting to the masses, especially now, without any drama akin

to the Tonya/Nancy knee whacking. But it’s a lovely, lyrical sport and the field is bubbling with fresh talent. The 2010 U.S. Nationals will be held in Spokane, Washington, and I hope to attend. The top two or three ladies will go on to the Olympics. More exciting still, Michelle Kwan hasn’t retired yet and may still compete, and so might Sasha Cohen. Skate America aired on October 26th, but the performances are on You Tube. Unfortunately, NBC won’t be airing any more competitions until the U.S. Nationals in January. Maybe if more people watched, the networks would support it again. Or maybe I should just move to Japan, where the sport is huge and skaters are stalked like Britney Spears. At this point, the latter would be the quickest solution.

Photos courtesy of Niel Hayes

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November 3, 2008

Recreation & Sports

The VanCougar

Max Payne delivers darkness

2008: photo courtesy of 20th Cnetury Fox

By Collin Rickman

ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

The VanCougar

ACE

Arts, Culture Entertainment

UPCOMING

EVENTS MOVIE TICKETS on Sale

Discounted Regal Cinemas tickets are on sale in the Cashier’s Office Mon, Tue, and Wed. Nov. 3-5. See signboards for specific sale times.

Trans Siberian Orchestra Tix Watch for the sale date. Supplies are limited. Show is Nov. 9.

Free Pizza Open House

Tuesday, November 4, 11:30 a.m.

Student Resource Center, stop by and enjoy the pizza while getting to know people

Indoor Archery Instruction Tuesday, November 4, 7:00 p.m.

Located at Archery World in Vancouver. Admission: $5 for students, $8 for non-students.

Three Cups of Tea Author: David Oliver Relin

Thursday, November 6, 7:00 p.m.

Administration Building, Room 110, Free and open to the public.

Easy Drawing Techniques Friday, November 7, 12-2 p.m.

VMMC 107, learn techniques for stenciling, tracing, rubbing and transferring images to paper.

Festival of the Trees

Friday, November 28 to Sunday November 30, times vary by day.

Vancouver Hilton, 301 W. 6th Street, Vancouver, WA.

In an era where films inspired by a popular amusement park ride rake in millions of dollars in revenue, anyone accusing Hollywood of scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas appears to be justified. But the formula seems to work. Encouraged by the blockbuster success of the dark “Batman Begins” and its even darker sequel “The Dark Knight,” executives seem to be greenlighting every script tied to a video game or comic book that could theoretically make a profit after DVD sales. Truth, justice, and the American way are out –– darkness and self-doubt is in. We want our heroes (or anti-heroes) flawed, brooding, and as confused as we are, thank you very much. Enter Max Payne, star of two video games and an inhabitant of a frigid, murderous New York City. Brought to life onscreen by Mark Wahlberg, Max is searching for those responsible for killing his wife and daughter. After acquaintance Natasha (new Bond girl Olga Kurylnenko) winds up dead laying next to his I.D., Payne is the prime suspect in a murder investigation that has a few striking ties to his own tragedy. It’s never fully explained why he walks free after being incriminated by his wallet, but with all the guns he seems to carry one can’t blame the police for not putting it

Mark Wahlberg (left) and Mila Kunis (right) fight dirty in “Max Payne”.

at the top of their to-do list. Making matters worse, many of the baddies enjoy slurping down a street drug called “Valkyr.” While improving soldiers’ battlefield strength exponentially, the one side effect of the drug is insanity. Max has a pretty full plate by this point, so it’s up to Natasha’s sister (Mila Kunis) and an old family friend (Beau Bridges) to keep him on his toes. Dodging pesky Internal Affairs officer Jim Bravura (Ludacris) shakes things up a bit. The scenes, however, are merely transitions in a ballet of blood – breaths between all the bullets. With a name like his, how could they be anything else?

The plot twists and game elements lost-in-transition from system to screen are not surprising. The real star of the film is the atmosphere. A fleeting few minutes of noir-speak at the beginning and glimpses of an unforgiving metropolis are enough to perk up any “Sin City” citizens in the audience. The frozen sheet of a waterfront; the abandoned, snow-flurried streets; the miserableness of the citizens: it’s all culled from the game and recreated onscreen in effective detail. Perfect for a hero with an axe to grind. And perfect for those executives. Nobody this driven gets away without a sequel.

Game Review: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed By Beau Baxter Rosser ACE Editor

Star Wars is back! But is it though? Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a mishmash of sub-par combat, mediocre platforming, exceptional storytelling and sound and a whole lot of Wookie butt-kickery. Remember that Wookie butt-kicking I just mentioned? Well, it only happens in the beginning of the game, though it’s still worth mentioning due to the fact that The Force Unleashed starts out so strong. Unfortunately, it begins to wane in later levels. The game begins with the player as Darth Vader (exciting, right?!) and provides the ability to use all of the force powers one would expect of Darth Vader. However, even in this first level, the game’s overall lack of polish in the level design department begins to show. After only a few minutes of play, I managed to get Vader stuck in some nasty trees. Here I am, the galaxy’s most feared and powerful Sith Lord, but these blasted trees had me and wouldn’t let go. After the first level, the main meat of the game begins to take shape. Story wise, The Force Unleashed takes place in between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the first real Stars Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope. Players wield the lightsaber of the apprentice, Starkiller, after being adopted and trained in secret by Vader himself. Wearing the cloak of Starkiller, players move from planet to planet, killing off any remaining Jedi while gaining new force abilities and combos along the way. The story, dialog, sound design and character motion capture are the standout gems of The Force Unleashed. Luckily, LucasArts paid a lot of attention to these aspects of the game; otherwise, The Force Unleashed would not have done enough to hold my attention. Honestly, this is the best story Star Wars has seen since 1983, and for that I am grateful. Starkiller is a conflicted character with a surprisingly dark demeanor, but he has just enough soul in him to be regretful of his actions. And before it’s asked: no, the player doesn’t get to kill younglings, even if the word “youngling” is the dumbest thing ever conceived. The combat system is fine as the game begins, but I soon learned that the depth was not there when com-

pared to other games in the action genre like God of War or Ninja Gaiden. I found myself relying on the basic four-hit combo to defeat the enemies because it seemed just as powerful as some of the flashier combos available. The air juggling had its moments, but I still found myself rarely relying on them to get the job done. Alongside the lightsaber combat, the game provides the player with an assortment of cool force powers to exploit – I mean, the game is called The Force Unleashed, after all. Each level is designed to give players the maximum amount of resources to use against the enemies, from ripable pipes to a ton of boxes and crates. So what does the player do with all these items littered around the levels? Well, one could throw them with force grab, hit them with force push to… throw them, or electrocute them with lightning so that they will be more effective when the player… throws them. I found myself tossing all the boxes and such in the direction of the enemies as soon as I entered a room. That gave me enough time to overuse my force lighting on the stunned enemies, though once I beefed up my lightning to its apex, it became the “win” button. Having the ability to electrocute everything in my vicinity was an acceptable option because a few of the levels in Force Unleashed were so poorly designed that I couldn’t see half the enemies attacking me. This design flaw also plagues Ninja Gaiden, and it made me long for God of War’s automatic camera. In this day and age of gaming, having to baby-sit a camera should not cross the gamer’s mind while playing. The camera also played a horrible role while traversing some of the platforming sections of the game. In an action game, the platforming should be second nature, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how many times I fell into a bottomless pit only to have to sit through the lackluster loading times just to try again. Work on your boss battles, LucasArts. That’s all I’ll say about that. Overall, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a decent enough experience, but it’s plagued by a few last generation gaming pitfalls. If you are a Star Wars fan, though, the game may be well worth it for the story alone – just don’t pull your hair out during the more frustrating parts.

Photo courtesy of LucasArts 2008

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aRTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

November 3, 2008

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Book Review: Lovely Bones By Shantel Erickson

Published in 2002, The Lovely Bones took fiction into a realm not yet explored. A friend of mine, who is an avid reader, introduced me to Alice Sebold’s novel while we were taking a young adult literature class here at WSUV. Although I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone under fifteen, I can’t say enough about this timeless novel. The reader meets fourteen-yearold Susie Salmon when she is dead and in heaven, well her heaven. For the rest of the novel, Susie takes the reader on a journey. The Lovely Bones does something amazing; it gives the reader a perspective unlike any other. While in heaven, Susie is able to see what is happening back on Earth. Susie is remarkably humorous and inspiring. She is also fearless. Right away, the reader learns of how Susie was brutally killed, among other things, and how Susie feels after the horrible ordeal; what she thinks of now that she has experienced the unthinkable. The Lovely Bones consists of several layers. The first being perspective, and the second being amazing voice. Susie, the voice of the novel, is remarkably calm, collected and reliable. Susie relays back what she observes her family, friends, town, schoolmates and even her murderer doing after her death. This perspective takes the reader deep inside how people react to a tragedy that is big enough to shake a whole town. As for the Salmon family: Susie’s parents find themselves at odds with each other, Susie’s little brother is trying to find out where she went, and

2008: photo courtesy Little, Brown & Company

The VanCougar

Susie’s sister goes down her own path altogether. The novel not only shows how Susie’s family is trying to go on after her death, but it also shows what Susie will miss out on being killed at the young age of fourteen. Susie ends up living vicariously through her sister, and longing to be alive again. I have given this novel to many people to read, my mother being one of those people. She loved it, and being a mother, had a different opinion than I did. While on an international flight a man was reading The Lovely Bones, and we ended up having a lovely conversation about heaven and death. This novel explores so many human experiences, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t get something out of this novel. I would also recommend The Lovely Bones for a book club; the discussions that could be had about this novel are endless. Happy reading!

DRUGS

By Will & Greg

Will: A question to test your ability to cognate: What do all main-stream magazines have in common? Greg: Paper. Will: You’re a genius, Gump! A genius! And on MANY of those paper pages you will find ads. Ads from the same source. Guess who. Greg: Genius is as genius does. Well, I’m reading Reader’s Digest, and at least 30% of what I am presented for digestion are drug ads—not so much the ads as the two pages of commentary, disclaimers and warnings that go with each. So, I would say drug ads. Will: Ding! Give the man a prescription! It amazes me in a sad way. Five pages in a recent People magazine had drug ads. I picked magazines at random yesterday and found drug ads in every one – with that big, scary disclaimer as you mentioned. What frosts me are the ads aimed at parents, urging them to dope their kids. Greg: “Better living through chemistry;” that’s the 21st century, dude. Medicated, sedated and, according to most warning labels, constipated. Yes, sad, indeed. Will: I’ve always been bugged by Ritalin. How did we get along for so many centuries without it? Think about it: “Thou hast a span of attention that is unfocused in nature. Thou must partake of this tincture which will dull the tendency of thy mind to wander, Signore DaVinci.” How many cases of childhood boredom get diagnosed as ADHD and then drugged into compliance? Greg: I am in 100% agreement with you. And there will be those that are in 100% disagreement with us and will therefore diss on us. BUT the fact remains: it changes people from what they are to what we think they should be (often without their consent). Is that right? And what does it teach the child? Will: We haven’t agreed on anything in ages! This is a first! I’m worried that constant exposure to drug ads decreases the stigma of recreational drug use. You know: “Why is it OK to take this drug for my cold but not that one to make me feel happy?” And don’t get me started on side effects. Greg: Yeah, feeling happy; isn’t that the idea behind Prozac and Paxil? I’m not denying that these can and do help people, but I think many things are over-prescribed—otherwise the indicators are that American’s are seriously messed up. Okay, we ARE messed up, or at least YOU are. What about side effects? You mean these things can affect you? Will: Speaking personally, I used to catch a lot of colds. Sudafed had no effect. Actifed would clear my runny nose in minutes, but it made me so sleepy I could barely function. I had to wash the pills down with a grande from Starbucks. Now I just suffer through it. But on a grander note, ever notice how most magazine drug ads are two-sided? Greg: Hold it! I have found a wonder drug for the cold: 24 hour Claritin D! Swear by it! Fantastic stuff, this. However, to get it you must go to the pharmacist, show thy I.D. and sign for it. (I guess this would be what they make meth from.) Yet, I always worry about taking it since there are possible side-effects, but nothing like some of those two-pagers you mention. Sometimes the things they can cause are worse than the things they can help! Will: I’m quoting from an ad for a new women’s birth control device: “possible risks and side effects include: blood clots, strokes and heart attacks, high blood pressure and heart disease, cancer of the reproductive organs and breast, gallbladder disease, liver tumors…” If I were a woman, I wouldn’t want to play this lottery. Greg: What!? Have you seen the ads for E.D. meds? Let’s put it this way: sex ain’t worth dying for! Now, mind you, if you suffer from high cholesterol and can’t hack the oatmeal diet (bless you) Lipitor or Crestor might be just the thing to keep you kicking. But you’re basically exchanging one risk for about twenty. I don’t know. Will: Let’s see, Liptor. “Most common side effects are hedache, diarrhea, gas, rash, constipation, upset stomach and stomach pain, and muscle and joint pain.” Wait a minute. How can diarrhea AND constipation be side effects from one med? You maybe go a couple days suffering from one, then suddenly swing to the other? I’m OK with that. Predictability is boring.

This week the ASWSUV will once again be offering discounted Regal Cinemas movie tickets for sale. The $3.50 tickets—good for any movie, any time—can be purchased (two per student) each month at the cashier’s desk in the Administration Building. The question is which movie will you treat yourself to? Here are a few that I think are worth a mention—for one reason or another:

• • • • • • • • •

11/7: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Frankly, I’m underwhelmed, aren’t you? PG 11/14: Quantum of Solace. Craig Daniels returns as 007. PG-13 11/21: Bolt. Disney’s newest 3D animation. I predict the hyper hamster to be the film’s standout. 11/21: Twilight. Vampires. Romance. A best seller. How can you go wrong? PG-13 11/25: Frost/Nixon. Ron Howard’s attempt at being Oliver Stone. 12/12: The Day the Earth Stood Still. The remake of the 1951 classic Stars Keanu Reeves. Fans of the original won’t like it. 12/19: The Tale of Despereaux. Another animated film, based on the Newberry Award winning book 12/19: Yes Man. What can I say? More Jim Carrey. 12/26: Bedtime Stories. Adam Sandler and Disney?! They mix like oil and water.

Greg: My mama always said, “life was like a box of meds; you never know what you’re gonna get.” Those are just the side effects. That doesn’t take into account liver or kidney failure. Of course you can just take Ibuprofen for that. Anyway, ALL magazines do not have drug ads in common. Yes, some like ARRP and Reader’s Digest are replete with them. Some have none at all, for example: Rolling Stone. You’d think that one would have some sort of drug ad, no? Will: Yeah, but not the prescription kind. Now’s a good time to list the side effects of this column: Reading Two Audacious Guys may cause grimacing, teeth-grinding, fist clenching, performance of obscene gestures, and eye rolling. Less common side effects include smirks, grins and chuckles. Rarer still are outbreaks of actual laughter. Greg: That’s better than being on Lunesta. A listed side effect is “getting out of bed while not fully awake and doing things you do not know you are doing [including sex].” It would be my guess that staying off of as many drugs as you can is the best course of action. We’re messed up enough as it is. Will: Speak for yourself – you’ve written enough of these columns while you were asleep.

The VanCougar

12

NEWS & FEATURES

Arm yourself with information Bahnmiller

Illustration by Danielle Mosier

By Eric

The VanCougar

There is a growing concern around the nation for safety on college campuses. Incidents like the Virginia Tech shooting that took place on April 16, 2007 and left 32 people dead and many more wounded are reminders to all of us all that we need to be ready for such situations and know how to respond. WSU-V Public Safety department has been given the opportunity to show the 20 minute video, “Shots Fired.” The commercially produced video is endorsed nationally as a good training experience in reference to shooters and hostile intruder response. Lt. Dave Stephenson, head of Public Safety will be showing it on Nov. 18 at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. in VADM 110. Lt. Stephenson and Will Meek, WSU Vancouver mental health counselor will be taking questions after it is over. When Lt. Stephenson was asked if this was prompted by our classroom incident on Sept. 16 he replied “No, the campus safety training seminar was arranged when presented with the opportunity to borrow this video. WSU Vancouver and Public Safety are continually looking for and act on opportunities to promote safety and safety awareness on campus.” There is also a free self defense class that is offered three times a year to all students, faculty, and other stakeholders. Instructor from local martial arts academies will be brought in to give training on acquaintance, attacker defense, and hands-on striker practice. The next one will be held on Nov. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Clark Center Building, room 20. Anyone interested can sign up by e-mailing Officer Jeannette Hurt at [email protected] or by calling the Public Safety office at (360) 546-9001. Recently all building on campus have been equipped with emergency notification systems, and an outdoor warning system will be installed before the end of the year. Deadbolts have been installed on classrooom doors. Additionally, Public Safety offers professors and staff the opportunities to receive safety orientation so that they know the best way to handle problematic situation. WSU-V also is in the process of forming a behavior assessment committee comprised of representatives from Public Safety, faculty, student services and others. This committee will assess issues brought to their attention that could turn into future safety problems. Lt. Stephenson says, “if anyone should find themselves in an unfortunate situation inside or outside of the classroom and feel violently threatened they are strongly encouraged to call 911 and not the Public Safety office.” WSU-V Public Safety is a certified and a fully operational Washington State Police Department that is dispatched through 911 services. Since Public Safety officers are often on patrol or assignment the quickest and easiest way to get through to them is to have the 911 dispatch contact an officer on duty for you. For non-emergency public safety issue you can call the public safety office at the number given above. Lt. Stephenson would also like to remind everyone that there are Emergency Stanchion phones through out the campus. These

Police suggest the following safety tips: • • •

Do not walk alone, walk in well-lit areas, be aware of your surroundings and, where possible, walk in welltraveled areas. Those who are concerned about walking at night on campus are encouraged to call for escorts, which are provided through the WSU Police Department. See above article for information on public safety awareness on the WSU Vancouver campus.

WSU-Pullman police investigating three student assaults PULLMAN, Wash. – Police from Washington State University and the city of Pullman are currently investigating three assaults that happened on or near campus in the past week. The most recent assault occurred in the parking garage of the Center for Undergraduate Education on Monday evening. A person was assaulted by a lone male who expressed bias against members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. It now appears that the other two assaults being investigated

may have been motivated by similar bias. An assault on a single victim occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 16 behind Scott-Coman. A single victim reported an assault by three people on Oct. 18 on College Hill within the jurisdiction of the city of Pullman. Police do not know if the incidents are connected. Anyone who has any information regarding the assaults is encouraged to contact the Washington State University Police Department at 335-8548 or 3322521, or the Pullman Police Department at 334-0802.

are t h e large r e c t angular poles with blue lights on top of them that can be found in the courtyard, parking lots, and along various walk ways. If the button on the stanchion is pushed the glowing light on top will begin to flash indicating the phone is in use and the caller is directly connected to 911 to report their emergency. When looking at WSU Vancouver crime statistic it is clear that our Public Safety department has been doing their job. We have had a total of 3 simple assault case in the last 4 years ; none in the current academic year. Simple assault is classified as crimes that do not have to include physical contact and are not aggravated by dangerous weapons, sever injury or hate motivation. [WSU-Pullman seems to not be as fortunate. See related articles below.] There has been no illegal weapons violations reported while the current Public Safety administration has been here. For those of you that would like to look at WSU Vancouver’s crime statistics they are available on the web through the Public Safety webpage on the WSU Vancouver website.

New Provost assaulted, quits became “visibly upset” and his behavior became “unprofessional.” After confronting Provost Hoch, On September 10 WSU Pro- who some attendees said was vost Steven Hoch was involved “provoking” Royer, the Vice Presiin a physical altercation with dent of Business and Finance left Vice President for Business and the meeting. Finance Greg Royer. The inciProvost Hoch then followed dent occurred after a Senior Staff VP Royer into the hall and told meeting in which, according to him something to the effect of several witnesses, the two staff “don’t ever talk to me like that members involved had a series of again.” The witnesses to the hallverbal hostilities. way incident stated that when Both Hoch and Royer report- Provost Hoch said this he came ed the incident to WSU President very close to VP Royer, and RoyElson Floyd via email shortly after er responded by telling Hoch to it occurred. After learning about “f*** off.” At this point, Royer “atthe altercation, President Floyd tempted to push [Hoch] back a requested that Antoinette Ursich bit.” interview the witnesses and the Provost Hoch is the replacetwo staff members involved and ment of retired Provost Bates, write a thorough incident report. who now teaches on the WSU-V The report includes summaries of campus. According to the WSU each of the attendees’ interviews, news site, Hoch will not continue and an overall summary of the as the WSU Provost. He has inincident as described by the wit- stead continued in his position as nesses. professor in the History DepartEleven of the attendees de- ment as of November 11. scribed Provost Hoch’s behavior The full incident report can during the meeting as “dismis- be found on the Washington sive” and “disrespectful, rude, State University News page. condescending and arrogant.” For more info visit http:// During the discussion of respon- www.wsunews.wsu.edu/ and sibility centered budgeting/man- search “Provost Hoch.” agement (RCM), the majority of the attendees stated that Royer By Kati

Hughes

Managing Editor

November 3, 2008

NEWS & FEATURES

13

Student voice and student choice: an email interview with ASWSUV President Peter Sterr By Jason

Garcia

The VanCougar

For the students that don’t quite understand how the ASWSUV— Associated Students of Washington State University Vancouver— is working for Joe the student, this article might grab your voting attention. Peter Sterr is the ASWSUV President, a.k.a. the student body President. I sat down with him and asked a few questions. What are the purposes and goals for the ASWSUV student program? “Legislatively, our primary focus is to represent the wants and needs of WSU Vancouver students. Secondarily, we focus on the needs of all WSU students, and lastly on the needs of all students within Washington State.” “We rely on student voices to help guide our efforts in the legislature, and encourage every student to come forward and share their

concerns.”

In a nutshell, Peter explained that in order for the ASWSUV to function properly, as in, to help meet the needs of the students— the students need to voice their opinions. In an organization that is pleading to the student population with the utmost sincerity to voice an opinion, the ASWSUV relies on the populace to maintain its integrity. Because without the voice, there is no cause, and without a cause there is only an organization with nothing to say. So what does the ASWSUV have in store for the coming year? “Most strongly, we are championing the Student Recreation and Wellness Center project that is working to create a Recreation Center on our campus.” He notes that over the next couple of weeks there will be a survey that will ask students what they think should be in the recreation center and what kind of things we would like to see on cam-

n SEASONS from p.1 calcium absorption, and neuromuscular and immune system function. Most of the body’s vitamin D is obtained when the UV rays from sunlight are absorbed by the skin, however small amounts can be obtained in foods like salmon and fortified milk. The NIH also notes that November through February, states above 42 degrees north latitude are not obtaining sufficient vitamin D from sunlight. This includes every state north of California, along the latitude to Boston. In addition, cloud cover reduces UV penetration by 50%. This lack in vitamin D is a major cause for that ‘sluggish’ feeling during fall and winter, due to decreased immune function. For some, it may be advantageous to take a vitamin D supplement, however this is one of the few vitamins subject to overdose, so talking to a physician is recommended before beginning supplementation.

pus alongside the works of the ASWSUV.

How will the ASWSUV represent students? “On campus, ASWSUV works to promote civic engagement through voter-registration drives and non-partisan political activities. So far we have held a debate party, and we may continue other activities through the end of this election cycle. In the spring, we cosponsor the Annual Public Affairs Lecture Series, which brings a nationally recognized speaker to campus each year to present on a contemporary world issue.” Sterr noted that aside from focusing on events and student recreation, the ASWSUV spends quite a bit of time meeting with faculty, including Dr. Elson Floyd, President of WSU. He said the relationship between students and faculty is constantly growing “like parents and their children;” but instead of borrowing money for movie tickets, we’re asking for a recreation center.

Sudafed sales, and lower class attendance, but why is it deemed “Flu season”? Perhaps bacteria grow easier in the cold? Nope! Maybe the cold weather suppresses our immune systems? Not quite. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 5% to 20% of the population acquire the flu every year. It is caused by the influenza virus, and is mainly spread person to person by coughing or sneezing. These actions release droplets of fluid into the air (ew!) which can then be transmitted to another person. These droplets can land on anything within three feet of their release! The CDC also says that an adult is able to transmit the infection “one day before symptoms develop, and up to five days after becoming sick.” So why does this occurrence peak during the fall and winter? Jenefer DeKoning, a General Microbiology professor at WSUV, offers an explanation, “fall is ‘Flu season’ largely because we are close indoors more often, so it is easier to transmit.”

Why do the leaves on the trees Why do people shiver and get goose change? bumps when they’re cold? The leaves changing colors is an iconic symbol of the fall. This creates for beautiful scenery made up of yellows and oranges that many associate with fall. But why and how does this happen? Usually, leaves are green because they contain chlorophyll. This is a pigment that is responsible for carrying out photosynthesis, which is the means of respiration and energy production of plants. Chlorophyll makes the leaves green because it absorbs red and blue wavelengths of light and reflects the green ones. When the weather turns colder and the days become shorter, the quality of light is low. This causes the leaves to stop producing chlorophyll. As a result, the secondary pigments in the leaves show through. There are two of these pigments, the first are carotenoids, which reflect yellow and orange light and are responsible for making carrots and corn orange and yellow, respectively. The second pigment is anthocyanins which reflect red, purple, and pink light and they are responsible for making apples and berries red. The weather and climate surrounding the trees determines how bright or dull the colors will be. This information was provided by brainpop.com.

Why is fall the start of “Flu Season”? Achoo! This is a common sound heard around the classroom as the weather turns colder. Falls does bring about higher Kleenex and

Many, if not all of you, have had the chilling experience of watching the hair on your arms rise and form bumps and feeling your body shake uncontrollably. So the question is, why does this happen? Simply, it is to warm us up. But the mechanism behind this is rather detailed. Dr. Christine Portfors, a Professor and Neurophysiologist at WSUV, offers the in depth explanation behind this phenomena, “We shiver to elicit a muscle contraction, which, through the use of [Adenosine Triphosphate] ATP produces heat. Shivering is a thermoregulatory mechanism” Basically, shivering is a bunch of muscle contractions used to warm up our body temperature. The muscle’s main purpose is to move the skeleton, so why then do our arms and legs not move all over the place when we shiver? Portfors has an explanation for this too, “Normally, the motor neurons responsible for movement act synchronously, which produces a controlled movement. However, the neurons that produce a shiver are asynchronous, so there is no movement of the skeleton.” Thankfully, human bodies are smart enough to know that we want to be warm when it’s cold outside. Another phenomenon that can be explained in physiological terms is that of goose bumps. Lonneke Eeuwes, a Postdoctoral research associate in Portfors’ laboratory, explains this occurrence, “In animals with fur the hair is raised which traps pockets of air to insulate the body.” Portfors explains this occurrence

Sterr said that last weekend the ASWSUV was in Pullman discussing issues and ideas for the remaining year. What about fun stuff? In the past ASWSUV has helped coordinate many events and luxuries for the student population…from beach trips to open lab time before classes, to barbeques and poker games. “Many of the projects and accomplishments … were addressed due to direct concern from students.” However, last year movie tickets for Regal Cinema theaters were on sale for students at $3.50 per ticket at the cashier in the Student Resource Center, and that is supposed to be the case again this year in the first couple weeks of November. Students are allowed to purchase two tickets, so take a date to see a great movie; just don’t tell them how much money you saved, unless you want to talk about having switched your car insurance.

in humans, “We have lost the fur, but we have not lost the production of goose bumps.” Our bodies are amazing machines which are innately programmed to keep us warm and cozy in the depths of winter.

Why do snowflakes always look different? As kids, many of us would spend hours in the snow, making snow angels, snowmen, or catching snowflakes on our tongues. Many elementary school teachers are guilty of handing students a piece of construction paper to make paper snowflakes, all of which look different. What the students didn’t know is that they are replicating a phenomenon that occurs naturally in our environment. When asked about the mechanism behind the fact that no two snowflakes are alike, Chemistry Professor Dr. Gene Schramburg was stumped, “it doesn’t make sense to me because when liquids form into solids or crystals they are supposed to be uniform, but snowflakes aren’t” My thoughts exactly! After some intriguing research, an informational website tailored to elementary school children, www.brainpop. com, provided the answer. When the temperature drops it causes the water found in the clouds to freeze forming a solid, crystalline structure known as the crystal lattice. These formations are symmetrical and usually identical, but they combine to form what we know as a snowflake. Other factors including the temperature and humidity of the air in which the flakes form also determines the shape and structure. If the temperature is cooler the edges of the flakes will be sharper, while the warmer temperature causes the flakes to have a softer shape. If there is a low humidity the flakes for a simpler shape, but if the humidity is high the shape become more complex. In addition, snowflakes grow as they fall from the sky as more lattices are added, but a piece of dust could chip away of piece of the flake, adding more variation. The journey from liquid to flake is treacherous and fastidious, which accounts for the individuality of each flake.

The VanCougar

14

News & Features

Story & Photos By Katie Wells Rec & Sports Editor

1. 2.

Photo Credit: Ruth Zschomler

The ASWSUV rented Crosley Lanes in order to host the Halloween Cosmic Bowling night event. Every one of the alley’s 41 lanes was filled with WSU students, most of whom were dressed in creative costumes. Disco and black lights, a raffle, and a costume contest added to the fun of bowling for those who attended. Keep your eyes open for possible bowling nights this month and in December.

3.

5. 6.

4.

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1. The Pink Panther and the Winter Princess were the first place winners of the costume contest. 2. Where’s Waldo? 3. Sports and occupational costumes were popular choices. 4. Originality was obvious with costumes like bananas and trench coat bombers. 5. Fairy costumes were a big hit as well. 6. Megan O’Connor dressed as Sarah Palin in spirit of the elections. 7. Congratulations to the homeless man and his zombie bride. 8. Blake Hunter makes a great “Man in the Yellow Hat.” 9. With the BK King as friend, you will never go hungry.

November 3, 2008

news & features

15

“Coree’s Cooler Than You” By Ruth Zschomler The VanCougar

October 29, 2008—In the cool morning air, Ganlai Wang watched as a student drew a map of the world Wednesday in colored chalk on the sidewalk leading to the Firstenburg Family Fountain. As a recent graduate of Washington State UniversityVancouver, he no longer has to study for midterms. During the past week, chalk art has appeared in many forms on campus. From slogans such as, “Drop no bombs” and “Smile it’s a beautiful day,” to orange bare footprints leading towards the classroom building, students are releasing their inner child. According to one message, “Coree’s cooler than you”. Oh, well, so much for popularity. With a smile, Wang said the pictures are, “random scribbling by degenerates with nothing better to do.” When the weather is nice, something happens to people. They want to do things other than study. There are other options, like the basketball court, but Wang said, it is rarely used. “Someone brought chalk, people got bored,” he said. Wang observed that chalk is just lying around and people can draw whatever they want. “One thing that’s missing from this college experi-

n SCHOLAR from p.1 -tive bibliography page of Brautigan on the Internet that was the first of its kind. Today this page has been extended beyond a bibliography to become a more inclusive informational site. “If you google Richard Brautigan, I come up second under wikipedia… which is a good place to be.” A Pacific Northwest native, Brautigan lived in San Francisco from the mid-1950’s through the 1970’s. His contemporaries included Beat artists Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. While not a Beat himself, Brautigan was heavily influenced by the Beat generation, and is considered a bridge between the Beat and Hippie eras, both of which he was heavily immersed in and drew inspiration from. Because of this, Shpylova’s research includes both eras, and everything surrounding them such as the socially oriented art, protests, and experimentation. “Richard Brautigan’s literary uniqueness is rooted in his independent demiurgical project of diverse cosmos that absorbs a fantastic variety of different cultural and literary traditions…Richard Brautigan can be assumed to be a kind of ethereal link or tissue of Beat literature and postmodernism,” says Shpylova, summing up her research. For those students interested in learning more about Brautigan, you can visit Barber’s website, www.brautigan.net. To those interested in sampling a little of his work,

Barber recommends beginning with Brautigan’s compilation of short stories, titled “The Revenge of the Lawn.” In addition to being brief and easy to read, some of the stories in this collection could ring familiar for students. “Many of the stories in “The Revenge of the Lawn” are memories of his as a child in the Pacific Northwest.” Brautigan was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. He lived in Salem, Oregon, and later in Eugene, Oregon before moving to San Francisco.

ence is involvement,” he said. At the school he transferred from, Michigan State University, they had activities on campus all the time. He said that as a commuter campus once class is over students go home, “Everybody here has a job or kids or both.” Wang, 24, has no family or job so he was able to focus on his education and get it done. “Overall, people just go about their business,” Wang said, adding that it seems most students do not have much time for campus life. He believes that the expansions of the college will change things. With the addition of 400 new students this year, the new undergraduate building, and dorms in the future, campus life will transform. “There is a change of dynamics on campus,” Wang mused. Did Wang do any of the drawings? He said, “No, I am a scrooge.”

WSU Vancouver Presents the Fall 2008

Etiquette Dinner Outclass the Competition Business and Formal Dining Experiences

n FREEZE from p.1 falls are certainly not currently affecting WSU Vancouver. Randy Boose, head of the WSU-V human resources department, wanted to make sure students did not worry unnecessarily. “Essentially we are in a wait-and-see mode until the budget comes through,” he said. Wharton as well emphasized that no one is getting laid off immediately. “It isn’t like we have a lot of bloated programs that need cut down; we have a lot of small programs that are ready to grow.” Editor’s notes: With shortfalls, budget cuts and so many institutional needs, will tuition rise even higher than the average annual increase of 7% and, with less state funding, will that mean higher costs passed on to students? And this at a time when borrowing money for college may be even more difficult.

Learn and practice etiquette and protocol for business and formal dining experiences from guest expert Lori Hennessy Wednesday, November 12th 2008 4:30pm - 7:30pm Firstenburg Student Commons Only $5 for a four-course meal (valued at over $20) To reserve your spot, contact the Student Resource Center at 546-9155. Act quickly, as space is limited!

How confident are you of the impression you’ll make at a lunchtime interview? Sponsored by the Student Resource Center and Service & Activities Fees (S&A)

Questions? Call 546-9155 or Email: [email protected]

The VanCougar

16 NOVEMBER

2008

Human Development Club Meeting, November 3 Human Development Club meetings are open to anyone who is interested. The club meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in VMMC 6. Self Defense Seminar Nov 5 Clark Center Building Room 020. Contact Officer Jeanette Hurt at [email protected] to sign up. Learn acquaintance and attacker defense. Don’t live in fear: Learn how to defend yourself! This event is free. Bring a friend, daughter, or spouse. Open Play Flag Football Nov 6 Sports fields the day of. This event is free. Texas Hold-em Tournament Nov 7 SIgn up in OSI up to the day of. Cost is $5.00 for students and non-students alike. Rock Climbing (PRG - Open Climbing) Nov 8 Sign up at the OSI by Nov 5. Cost to be determined. Open Gym @ Chinook Nov 12 Sign up at Chinook Gym. This event is free. Flag Football Open Play Nov 13 Sports fields the day of. This event is free! Flag Football Tournament Nov 14 Sign up in OSI by Nov 10th. This event is free!

TAIL END

The VanCougar Bulletin

To include a bulletin on this page, drop a flyer for a school or club-related event into our “Bulletins” folder outside VCLS 212 or email [email protected]. Free for registered student organizations!

Housing Offered / New Townhome for rent: 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. 1525 sq ft. Garage, fenced yard, A/C, W/D hook ups, stainless steel appliances. Very nice! Monthly rent $1250.00, deposit $400.00. Great location; easy access to I205 and WSU Vancouver. One year lease, credit check and references required. Pets considered with additional deposit. Please email [email protected] for pictures and additional information.

LDS Club

CHESS CLUB

Meetings are M/W 11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. in VCLS 14.

The Latter Day Saint Student Association is studying the New Testament this year and invites anyone interested to come and join club meetings. Other meeting times and locations are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Clark College. For more information visit the institute website at:

www.ldsces.org/vancouver.

chessclub.wsuv@ gmail.com

Mt. Hood Meadows Lift Tickets on sale Nov 17 Purchase tickets in the Recreation office through the end of the season . Cost is to be announced. Ski and Snowboard Waxing Clinic Nov 19 Sign up at OSI until full. This event is free! Open Gym @ Chinook Nov 19 Sign up at Chinook Gym. This event is free.

Investigating Personality and Mental Health in Later Life Dr. Cory Bolkan, assistant professor of gerontology in the Department of Human Development, will be presenting her research interests in a lecture

Thursday, Niovember 6, 2008 12n-1:00 p.m. in VADM 129

FREE PIZZA until it runs out

Sponsored by Kappa Omicron Nu and the ASWSUV